Object Details
collector
Upcott, William 1779-1845
former owner
Hollond, Robert DSI
Carruthers, John Franklin Bruce 1889-1960 DSI
Notes
Binder's title.
Collection of prints, newspaper and journal clippings, mss., separately published tracts, and printed ephemera (in various sizes) connected with the early years of aeronautics, primarily ballooning.
Arranged in roughly chronological order, e.g., v. 1 has material mostly from ca. 1783-1802; v. 2 mostly from 1785-1837; and v. 3 mostly from 1837-1840. However, each v. also includes materials from dates outside of these ranges.
Page [423] is signed: "William Upcott of Islington, collector of engravings connected with aerostation."
Text mostly in English, with some French language materials.
Originally unbound. cf. Cat. of the Library of W. Upcott, London, 1846, p. 65.
Includes these published works bound in (each cataloged separately): Lunardi, V. An account of the first aërial voyage in England. London : Printed for the author ..., 1784 -- The Man in the moon. [S.l.? : s.n.?, ca. 1830] -- Sadler, J. Balloon, an authentic account of the ærial voyage of Messrs. Sadler and Clayfield. [Bristol] : Printed for the benefit of Mr. Sadler, by A. Brown, [1810] -- High and low. London : Printed by L. Thompson, 1824 -- A full and correct description of this extraordinary machine ... the Eagle. London : Printed and published by J. Thompson, 1835.
A short ([4] p.) anonymous handwritten political allegory with an aeronautical theme, entitled: "The Dolphin carried off: a dream," is mounted on p. 7 of v. 1.
Some of the balloonists featured in this scrapbook include the Montgolfiers, Lunardi, Blanchard, Garnerin, Robert, Charles, Barrett, Hullin, Sowden, de Moret, MacGwire, Graham, Sadler, Green, Cocking, and Gypson, among others.
NASMRB copy has a leaf of viewers' signatures and their brief comments, dating from the mid-20th century, bound in at the front of v. 1.
Also available online.
NASMRB copy has been re-bound in 3 v., with each v. bound in full red leather with raised bands and gilt-lettered spine, interleaved throughout with blank sheets of paper; each v. is housed in a separate linen-covered box with printed red paper spine labels.
NASMRB copy has bookplates: 1. (armorial) Robert Hollond, with motto: Vincit qui se vincit; 2. Library of the National Air Museum: a gift from Mrs. John Carruthers ... Pasadena 5, California.
NASMRB copy has p. 129-136 in v. 1 misbound upside-down and in reverse order between p. [128] and 137.
NASMRB copy has some ms. annotations made by the collector and by subsequent owners.
Elecresource
Date
1783
1783-1840
Call number
TL620.A1 U65
TL620.A1U65
Type
Early works to 1900
Physical description
3 v. ([445] p.) : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 53 cm
Data Source
Smithsonian Libraries
Topic
Balloon ascensions
Aeronautics
Balloonists
Parachuting
Record ID
siris_sil_120679