James Sadler Esq. First English Aeronaut.

• Price: $350.00
  

  SKU: 33027

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• ARTIST: Benjamin Taylor

• PUBLISHER: Published by B. Taylor, No. 7 Brewer St. Golden Sq., London.

• MEDIUM: Stipple engraving,

  DATE: 1812

• EDITION SIZE: 5 1/2 x 6 1/4" (140 x 160 mm) plus title and margins.

• DESCRIPTION: Fueled by the fervor surrounding Lunardi’s first flight in London, ballooning became a veritable craze in England. Aeronauts became the some of the most talked about celebrities of the day, and tales of their exploits and adventures swept across Britain creating a national mania for the sport. Whereas ballooning had been popular on the Continent since Pilatre and Rozier’s first flight in a “Montgolfiere”, it was not until Lunardi’s daring flight that it gained popularity in England. Nicknamed the “King of the Balloon”, James Sadler was considered the first English aeronaut. He made his first balloon ascent in 1784, the same years as Lunardi’s famous flight, flying from Oxford to the village of Woodeaton, six miles away. On 7th October, 1811, he set a balloon speed record when he flew from Birmingham to Boston, Lincolnshire, in less than four hours. In 1812 he attempted to cross the Irish Sea, but failed, landing in the ocean near Anglesey where he was rescued by a passing fishing boat. Sadler is remembered as one of the pioneers of aeronautical exploration in Britain and his daring flights helped make ballooning a national pastime.

• ADDITIONAL INFO:

• CONDITION: Very good condition. Black & white.

• REFERENCE:

• CATEGORIES: 18th-19th Century Subjects , Portraits , Cartographers, Scientists & Philosophers