Victorian gas balloon aerial images auctioned
- Published
This image was taken over Stamford Hill, north London, on 29 May, 1882
Dozens of aerial images of England in the 1800s, said to be among oldest surviving examples, are being offered for sale.
The magic lantern slides were once owned by balloonist and photographer Cecil Victor Shadbolt.
He collated them for a lecture called Balloons and Ballooning he gave some time between 1882-1892.
There are also 37 colourful non-photograph slides as part of the collection.
Dominic Winter Auctions in Gloucestershire expects the images to be sold for up to £10,000 when they go under the hammer on 15 October.
Here Cecil Shadbolt (left) is posing in the balloon car with his camera visible. It appeared in The Photographic News, 1884, which identified the man on the right as 'Captain' William Dale, in whose balloon both men were killed in 1892
Catford Bridge, south London, was captured from 1,900ft (579m)
This photograph was taken by Shadbolt 800ft (244m) above Sutton, south London
Nearly all of the images were taken around London, including this one 2,000ft (610m) above Crystal Palace
Following the flight over Stamford Hill, Mr Shadbolt wrote an account entitled "1st Ascent" in which he described the lack of welcome when they landed. "Came down in a field of green corn and experienced very rough treatment at the hands of the crowds who tore the balloon and Barker's coat in addition," he wrote.
The bowler hat-wearing Shadbolt is just visible in this photograph (bottom left), watching on as a grounded balloon is inflated
Other than a note saying 'B29', this slide of Shadbolt's was untitled and therefore the port and general area remains unknown
The note accompanying this photograph suggests it was taken by Shadbolt who was travelling in a balloon called "AD.10" at 1,000ft (305m) above the "Wardle River", thought to be the River Wandle
This photograph, which was marked as number 36 in Shadbolt's presentation order, simply illustrates the early days of ballooning - a pastime which dates to the late 1700s
- Published12 July 2014
- Published30 November 2013
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