Balloon box
Title

Balloon box

Caption

Box whose lid presents the 3rd air trip made in Lyon on January 21, 1784 by Jacques de Flesselles (balloon "Le Flesselles").
Brown tortoishell and painted design on ivory (7.5 cm)
18th century
Muller-Quênot Collection

Info+

On 19th January 1784, le Flesselles rose up into the Lyon sky. As expected, seven passengers took their places in the gallery: the inventor of the hot-air balloon Joseph Montgolfier, who would be undertaking his final aerial voyage, Pilâtre de Rozier, Prince Charles de Ligne, the marquis de Laurencin and Dampierre, and the count de Laporte d’Anglefort. At the last moment they were joined by the young Fontaine who had watched the creation of the balloon.
The crowd of nearly two hundred thousand people who had assembled in Brotteaux was alarming: several anchor chains had broken off. The balloon was above the Rhône. Josephe and Fontaine increased the flame to delay the fall. Boats assembled on the Rhône and on the Saôneto to follow le Flesselles. The balloon climbed another eight hundred metres but a fifteen metre tear in the balloon lead it to drop. The ascent lasted nearly 15 minutes.

Date

18th century

Credit line

Photo12/Association Muller Quenot Rosheim

Reference

MQR10A00_014

License type

Rights managed

Available size

33,1Mb (1,4Mb) / 11,8in x 10,9in / 3543 x 3265 (300dpi)

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