|
|
|
Title: 150th Anniversary of the Conquest of
the Air |
|
Description: City of Paris, Galliera Museum, 150th Anniversary of the Conquest of the Air, 1783-1933. The "Montgolfiere," constructed at the Reveillon factory. Historic Exposition of Ballooning. Wallpaper Retrospective. November - January, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed on Monday. From November 1933 to January 1934, the Galliera Museum in Paris presented an exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first balloon flights in history. In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers made a series of demonstrations of their "Montgolfiere" hot air balloons. These flights sparked the imagination of the French aristocracy, the public, and the intellectuals. Although hot air was not a very practical lifting agent because it required carrying an open fire on board, these first ascents stimulated the Academy of Sciences to sponsor the research and development of the hydrogen gas balloon, a much safer method of flying. The exhibit at the Galliera Museum contained prints and drawings, memorabilia from the collections of famous aerial enthusiasts, and other objects associated with the 150 year history of ballooning. The illustration on the poster is based on one of the prints on display. It shows the launch of the first manned flight of a free (unteathered) balloon. On November 21, 1783, J.F. Pilatre de Rosier and the Marquis d’Arlandes set out from the Bois de Boulogne in the oval shaped "Montgolfiere" balloon. The wind carried them 5 1/2 miles across the city of Paris at a height of 300 feet. Although the world’s first aviators had to extinguish a small fire on board during their trip, they made a safe landing to conclude their historic 25 minute flight. |
|
|
|