Ballooning. 18th century fan commemorating air ballooning in France, 1783

Sold for £1,500

Early Ballooning. An 18th century French fan commemorating air balloon flights in France, 1783, the fan with 30 fine wooden staves (28 with pierced fretwork) united by silk ribbon, one side painted in watercolour with central panel showing the flight above Paris and inscribed 'premier voyage ... Decembre par Charles et Roberts 1783' a panel to the left inscribed 'Experience par Montgolfier', the other panel 'Experience faite a Annona 4 Jun 1783', the reverse side similarly painted with three panels of an air balloon over rural landscapes with figures beneath, additionally painted with pink roses and floral sprays, with brass and mother of pearl loop, in generally fine condition, 30cm (open), in its original card box covered in pink and white floral cotton

(Qty: 1)

Provenance: Collection of Jack Webb (1923-2019), London.

4 June 1783
Brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier demonstrated their hot air balloon before a crowd of dignitaries in Annonay, France. They experimented with lighter than air devices after observing that heated air directed into paper or fabric bag made the bag rise.

1 December 1783
The first manned gas balloon flight was launched by Jacques Alexander Charles and Nicholas Louis Robert in Paris on 1 December 1783, the flight lasted 2.5 hours.