Hydrogen Balloon Collection

Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732743 Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Giffard's Captive hydrogen balloon 'Captive' in the Cremorne Gardens, London)

A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732730 A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a paying-out machinery)

Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732744 Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Giffard's Captive hydrogen balloon 'Captive' in the Cremorne Gardens, London)

Vincenzo Lunardi
5312098 Vincenzo Lunardi; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Vincenzo Lunardi in the gondola of his first balloon. Vincenzo Lunardi (-1806) an Italian aeronaut and diplomat

Giffard's method of anchoring a 'Captive' balloon
3732720 Giffard's method of anchoring a 'Captive' balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Giffard's method of anchoring a 'Captive' balloon)

Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732714 Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Giffard's Captive hydrogen balloon 'Captive' at the Paris Exhibition)

Jacques Charles' first successful flight in his hydrogen filled balloon
5312096 Jacques Charles' first successful flight in his hydrogen filled balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Jacques Charles' first successful flight in his hydrogen filled balloon)

Two types of hot-air balloons
5308097 Two types of hot-air balloons.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting two types of hot-air balloons. Left: Hydrogen Balloon)

Vincenzo Lunardi making his first attempt at a balloon ascent
5308098 Vincenzo Lunardi making his first attempt at a balloon ascent.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Vincenzo Lunardi making his first attempt at a balloon ascent)

The Robert brothers helping Professor Jacques Charles
5310110 The Robert brothers helping Professor Jacques Charles; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the Robert brothers helping Professor Jacques Charles fill his balloon with hydrogen)

Observation balloon, U.S.A., 9 Dec 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
Observation balloon, U.S.A., 9 Dec 1917 (date created or published later). An observation balloon ready to be launched over German trenches in Europe in World War I.

Ascent of Bell's Aerial Machine, from Vauxhall Gardens, 1850. Creator: Unknown
Ascent of Bell's Aerial Machine, from Vauxhall Gardens, [London], 1850. The machine which Mr. Bell has constructed...is capable of sustaining a weight of between 500 and 600 lb

British Royal Engineers in a War Ballon over South Africa During the Second Boer War - 19th Century
Two British Corps of Royal Engineers in a war ballon over South Africa during the Second Boer War. Vintage etching circa 19th century

Snuff box with ballooning scene, late 18th century. Creator: Aubert
Snuff box with ballooning scene, late 18th century. The scene represents the launch of the first small Charliere gas balloon from the Champ de Mars in Paris, 27 August 1783

Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian balloonist, who made a hydrogen balloon flight from the Artillery Ground, London, in 1784
3639790 Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian balloonist, who made a hydrogen balloon flight from the Artillery Ground, London, in 1784

Place de la Concorde, c. 1783 (oil on panel)
488103 Place de la Concorde, c.1783 (oil on panel) by Demachy, Pierre-Antoine (1723-1807) (attr. to); 40x62.2 cm; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MN, USA; (add.info.: On December 1, 1783)

Vincenzo Lunardi, pioneering Italian balloonist (engraving)
6030663 Vincenzo Lunardi, pioneering Italian balloonist (engraving) by Nesmith, Burke (fl.1784); Private Collection; (add.info.: Vincenzo Lunardi (1754-1806)

Giffards dirigible airship, 1852 (chromolitho)
974460 Giffards dirigible airship, 1852 (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Giffards dirigible airship, 1852)

Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian balloonist, who made a hydrogen balloon flight from the Artillery Ground, London, in 1784
3639786 Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian balloonist, who made a hydrogen balloon flight from the Artillery Ground, London, in 1784

Jacques Charles and Marie-Noel Robert making the first ascent in a hydrogen balloon, Paris
3105014 Jacques Charles and Marie-Noel Robert making the first ascent in a hydrogen balloon, Paris, 1 December 1783 (colour litho) by French School

Montgolfiers smoke balloon being attacked by frightened country folk
When the Montgolfier brothers first balloon landed in Genesse, it terrified the villagers, who attacked it with agricultural tools

Crossing of the English Channel by Blanchard and Jeffries, 1785 (1890s). Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard and American Dr John Jeffries made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel in a

First aerial voyage by Charles and Robert, Paris, France, 1783 (1890s). On 1 December 1783, French aeronauts Jacques Charles (1746-1823) and Noel Robert made the first manned (free flight)

Jacques Charles launches his first aerostat from the Champ de Mars, Paris, 1783 (1890s). French aeronauts Jacques Charles (1746-1823)

Reception of the Robert Brothers by the Prince of Ghistelles in 1784, (1887). Artist: Gaston Tissandier
Reception of the Robert Brothers by the Prince of Ghistelles in 1784, (1887). French balloonists Noel and Jean Robert, recieved by Philippe-Alexandre-Emmanuel-Francois-Joseph de Ghistelles at his

The new airship of Alberto Santos-Dumont, 30th September 1900. A print from La Vie au Grand Air, 30th September 1900. Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) was an early pioneer of aviation

Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles, French physicist, c1783. Artist: Simon Charles Miger
Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles, French physicist, c1783. Print celebrating the first ascent in a hydrogen-balloon, made by Charles (1746-1823) from the Tuileries, Paris, on 1 December 1783

First manned flight in a hydrogen balloon, France, 1 December 1783 (1887). French aeronauts Jacques Charles (1746-1823) and Noel Robert made the first manned (free flight)

Fowls of a Feather Flock together; a group of aeronauts, c1785
Fowls of a Feather Flock together ; a group of aeronauts, c1785. The Italian balloonist Vincenzo Lunardi (centre) in Edinburgh for his ascent of 5th October 1785

Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian aeronaut, c1785. Artist: John Kay
Vincenzo Lunardi, Italian aeronaut, 1785. Lunardi made the first hydrogen balloon ascent in Britain, at Moorfields, London, on 15th September 1784

Inflation of Charles and the Robert brothers hydrogen balloon, 1783 (c1807). Jean and Noel Robert helping Jacques Charles (1746-1823)

Inflating a hydrogen balloon, 1845. Hydrogen is produced by covering barrels of iron filings with sulphuric acid. The gas is then fed into the balloon

Airship America, 1910
Airship America seen from the deck of the Royal Mail steamship Trent during the failed attempt to make the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic Ocean

Engraving depicting Vincenzo Lunardi making his first attempt at a balloon ascent, 19th century
Engraving depicting Vincenzo Lunardi making his first attempt at a balloon ascent

Jacques Charles, French balloonist
Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles (1746-1823), French chemist, physicist and aeronaut, historical artwork. A scientist and professor of physics

German observation balloon, World War I C017 / 7879
German observation balloon. Hydrogen-filled German military observation balloon and two observers (in basket) being watched by soldiers during World War I (1914-1918)

Paul Tissandiers balloon license, 1904
Paul Tissandiers balloon license, issued by the Aero-Club de France on 7 January 1904. French aeronaut Paul Tissandier (1881-1945)

Early balloon designs, artwork C013 / 7577
Early balloon designs. Artwork showing several early balloon designs. The earliest design (top left) is by Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631-1687)

Hydrogen balloon. Historical artwork of the landing of the first manned flight of a hydrogen balloon. Professor Jacques Charles and Nicholas Robert took off from the Tuileries Palace in Paris

First overnight balloon flight, 1836
First overnight balloon flight. Historical artwork of the first overnight balloon flight, which used coal gas and took place from 7-8 November 1836

Vicenzo Lunardi, Italian aeronaut
Vicenzo Lunardi (1759-1806), Italian aeronaut, historical artwork. Lunardi became the first person to fly in Britain when he took off in a hot air balloon from Londons Royal Artillery Ground at

Zakharovs balloon flight, 1804
Zakharovs balloon flight. Artwork showing the first meteorological balloon research flight in Russia, made on 30 June 1804 from St Petersburg

Balloon gas generation, 19th century
Balloon gas generation. These generators are being used to produce hydrogen gas for use in military balloons. This is part of the 1885 campaign by the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Abyssinia at

Investigating combustion of hydrogen. Image 1 of 3. Experiment to demonstrate the highly reactive nature of hydrogen in air

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"Unleashing the Power of Hydrogen: A Journey Through History" Step back in time to the 19th century, where British Royal Engineers took to the skies over South Africa during the Second Boer War. Their weapon of choice? The hydrogen balloon, a marvel of engineering and innovation. Delve even further into history with a snuff box adorned with a captivating ballooning scene from the late 18th century. Created by Aubert, this intricate piece showcases humanity's fascination with flight. One cannot discuss hydrogen balloons without mentioning Vincenzo Lunardi, an Italian balloonist who made his mark on London in 1784. His daring flight from Artillery Ground left spectators awestruck and marked a significant milestone in aviation history. The enchantment continues as we explore hand-colored engravings like "Globe Aerostatique, " dedicated to Monsieur Charles in 1783. This masterpiece captures the elegance and grandeur of early ballooning endeavors. Imagine standing at Place de la Concorde in Paris during that same era, witnessing Jacques Charles and Marie-Noel Robert embark on their maiden ascent in a hydrogen balloon. This colorful lithograph transports us back to December 1st, 1783 when dreams took flight against an ever-changing sky. But not all adventures end smoothly; Giffard's dirigible airship encountered its fair share of challenges in 1852. Chromolithographs depict this pioneering vessel navigating through turbulent skies while pushing boundaries for future generations. Returning once more to Vincenzo Lunardi's exploits, we witness his bravery firsthand through engravings capturing his historic hydrogen balloon flight from Artillery Ground. These images serve as testaments to human determination and our unyielding desire for exploration. Intrigue fills the air as we delve into historical accounts of Jacques Charles and Marie-Noel Robert's descent from their machine aerostatique – an unforgettable moment forever etched in the annals of ballooning history.