Balloon Collection

Ascent of Mrs. Graham and the Royal Victoria Balloon accompanied by Mrs. W. H. Adams and Miss Dean, Mermaid Tea Gardens, Hackney

D-Day - Supplies pour ashore
A stunning panorama photograph of a French invasion beach with the channel waters thick with US military shipping, as reinforcements

Catford Evacuees
A group of excited evacuee schoolchildren wait with their nurses on the platform of Catford train station in south east London. (Note the barrage balloon behind them)

Illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson -- The building of Saltash Bridge. Date: 1935

Montgolfier 1st Flight
The first manned ascent - Pilatre de Rozier and the marquis d Arlandes make history in a hot-air Montgolfiere

Chelsea Arts Club Ball
An impression of the Dazzle Ball of the Chelsea Arts Club held to celebrate the Allied victory at the end of World War One. Costumes were inspired by the dazzle

Handbill for balloon race, Green brothers
Handbill advertising a balloon race between Charles Green and his brother in two balloons, taking place from the Royal Gardens, Vauxhall, London, to celebrate the Queens birthday. 13 August 1835

Montgolfier balloon in flight over Paris
First manned balloon ascent, made in the presence of the Dauphin, from the Jardin de la Muette, Paris, under the direction of Montgolfier

Mr. Sadlers Ascent from Merton Fields, Oxford
James Sadlers ascent from Merton Fields, Oxford on 7th July 1810. Sadler became the first Englishman to ascend in a balloon (the first English Aeronaut) on 4th October 1784 from Christ Church Meadow

Dropping from a Kite Balloon 1917
A British observer drops from the car of a kite balloon, attached to the parachute which is hanging over the side of the basket. His colleague has already jumped and is on his way to the ground

Aerial view of Wanstead from a balloon - 1909
Perhaps the chief interest in this photograph is the actual passing of a balloon under the basket of the one from which this picture was taken

Balloon event, Charles Green, Stowmarket
Charles Green ballooning poster, advertising his 413rd ascent, from the Vicarage Grounds, Stowmarket in his Royal Victoria Balloon

The Battle of the Balloons. A fanciful image depicting four balloons with flags and sails, their passengers in close aerial combat. The opponents appear to be British and French. circa 18th century

RAF Balloon Barrage at Cardington
Royal Air Force Balloon Barrage at Cardington, Bedfordshire (note the distinctive airship hangars back right - still there today)

Balloon / James Sadler
James Sadlers balloon ascent at Oxford

Futuristic long distance airship
A futuristic long distance airship held aloft by two long balloons, flying across the sea

Aerial view, Manchester and the Ship Canal seen from a balloon. 19th century

LUNARDIs ASCENT 1784
Vincenzo Lunardi makes the first ascent into English airspace, shortly after the first ascent in Scotland - 200, 000 watch him

Montgolfier Ist Manned
Intrepid pioneers PILATRE DE ROZIER and the marquis D ARLANDES make the first successful manned flight in a Montgolfier balloon (hot air) at Paris

First Gas Balloon 1787
The first manned flight in a gas balloon, over Paris

Piccard 1931 Ascent - 4
Drawing showing the balloon in which Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard plans to fly higher than anyone has ever flown before - a project which will be realised in May

Piccard 1931 Ascent - 1
Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard, with colleague Kipfer, reaches record altitude of 16, 201m, ascending from Augsburg and coming down in the Austrian Alps Date: 27 May 1931

Spelterini over Alps
Swiss aviator Eduard Spelterini achieves the first flight over the Swiss Alps in his balloon Wega

X-X-X-X-Xmas by J. Gordge
Two lovers dressed as Columbine and Harlequin prepare for a romantic kiss at what looks to be a deserted party

WW1 - The King Stephen fishing boat and Zeppelin L19, 1916
WW1 - The zeppelin L19 (also known as the LZ 54), was a World War I airship of the of the Imperial German Navy. After its first bomb raid in the UK, the L19 crashed in the North Sea

The Balloon Baby by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a frilly dress and bonnet marches along with a doll under warm and a bunch of balloons in her other hand

Balloon over London 1833
The opening of Hungerford Market, London, is celebrated by a balloon flight by G Graham

Votes for women air balloon, 1909
Votes for women more in the air than ever: the suffragettes dirgible for the opening of Parliament. Armed with a megaphone and handbills

Ascent of Mr. R. Orton in the Princess Alexandra balloon
Poster advertising the ascent of Mr. R. Orton in the Princess Alexandra balloon and his Monster Giant, Middlesex County Cricket Ground - Monday August 12th 1867. Date: 1867

Godards balloon ascent from the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen
Mademoiselle Godards - balloon ascent from the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark. Date: 1837

Christmas crackers box label
Label for a box of Batgers Carnival crackers featuring a couple in fancy dress, he dressed as Harlequin, playing a ukelele and a banjo

Mr Grahams balloon ascent, Kew Bridge
Poster advertising Aerostation. Mr Grahams Sixteenth Ascent from the gardens of the Star & Garter Tavern, Kew Bridge, London. Date: 4 April 1825

Satirical ballooning image
A rude satirical image of large and small balloons tied together, lifting a cannon, entitled The Montgolsier. A first rate of the French Aerial Navy. A Fart, an Ass, a Fool, A Monkey, a Nothing. 1783

Tosca advertisement
The illustration features a light and airy ballroom filled with balloons and dancers in costume, including, centrally, a Pierrot

Ballon-Poste 1871
A Ballon-Poste loaded with mail leaves the place Saint- Pierre, Montmartre Date: January 1871

Cheltenham Balloon
Mr Green and others ascend in a balloon near the Rotunda of Montpellier Spa, Cheltenham : it will land safely at Ashton Kenes, near Cirencester

F H Butler (Vanity Fair)
FRANK HEDGES BUTLER, noted balloonist, looks down from the hot air balloon basket he is riding in and prepares to speak through his megaphone

The Hon Charles Rolls? balloon at Monmouth

Ascent of three balloons at Avington Park near Winchester
Ascent of three balloons at Avington Park, near Winchester, June 1908. Date: 1908

Belgian Air Force 2
Willy Coppens de Houthuist (born 1892) fights in World War One, specialising in shooting down German observation balloons, of which he destroys 35 ! Date: 1916+

Batgers Crackers
A girl in a yellow party frock and matching hat slides down a staircase on a tea tray while a motley group of revellers in fancy dress cheer her on

Railway Sleeper - Marylebone Station
The Railway Sleeper series - A snoozing post young gentleman propped up against a bollard at Marylebone Station after a wild Christmas party! Painting by Malcolm Greensmith

First Manned Balloon
The hot air Montgolfiere carrying de Rozier and d Arlandes, makes the worlds first manned ascent, over Paris

King George V with RAF officers, Western Front, WW1
King George V inspecting RAF officers on the Western Front in France during World War One, August 1918. The men belonged to the 11th and 2nd Balloon Wings (air reconnaissance). 1918

The pilot (on his first balloon strafe), WW1
The pilot (on his first balloon strafe). This, I think, is a case for a dud engine. By Lieutenant George Arthur Hyde, MC, Kings Royal Rifle Corps and 54 Squadron Royal Flying Corps

Forecasting Weather
Forecasting the weather at the Air Ministry, Kew, London - observing a balloon to gauge windspeed levels. Date: early 1930s

Balloon Race at Hurlingham, south west London
Scene at a balloon race at Hurlingham, south west London -- a social event as well as a sporting occasion

Hot Air Ballo0N / 2002
Hot air balloon in Newbury, Oxfordshire

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping