Object Details
Author
Brady & Co. (Washington, D.C.)
Subject
Lowe, T. S. C (Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt) 1832-1913
Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
Lincoln, Abraham 1809-1865
Intrepid (Hot Air Balloon)
Category
Historic Images of the Smithsonian
Notes
Note that this is a composite image, consisting of the May 31, 1862, stereo view photograph showing people on the ground and the basket of the balloon, with the balloon labeled "Intrepid" drawn in above the original image.
Summary
Image of Thaddeus Lowe's balloon test of the "Intrepid" at the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, during the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862. Lowe's balloon was used for reconnaissance for the Union Army during the Civil War. Using a telegraph the driver could send a message about Confederate camps and troop movements to soldiers below who then gave the information to Union generals. The test was supported by Smithsonian Institution Secretary Joseph Henry, who served as President Abraham Lincoln's scientific advisor during the war.
Contained within
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 54, Folder: 9D
Contact information
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
Date
May 31, 1862
Civil War, 1861-1865
Standard number
SIA2011-0961 and A30915H
Restrictions & Rights
No restrictions
Type
Event
Photographic print
Group, candid
Physical description
Number of Images: 1; Color: Black and White; Size: 10w x 8h; Type of Image: Event; Group, candid; Medium: Photographic print
Place
United States
Virginia
Data Source
Smithsonian Archives - History Div
Topic
Ballooning
Telegraph
Hot air balloons
Experiments
Soldiers
Tents
Aeronautics
Fair Oaks, Battle of, Va., 1862
Balloon ascensions
History
Record ID
siris_sic_12871