Name/TitleFirst flight of a hot-air balloon carrying living beings, Versailles, 19 September 1783
About this objectThe first flight of a hot-air balloon carrying living beings, 19 September 1783
The Montgolfier brothers invented the hot-air balloon and were called on to demonstrate their creation before Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at Versailles. The king had decreed that the test flight was too dangerous to involve human beings so a ‘crew’ of a sheep, a duck and a cock were sent aloft instead. The balloon was aloft for about eight minutes and covered about two miles. The livestock returned to earth unscathed except that the cock had a damaged wing. This caused concern about the perils of aerial travel until witnesses testified that that they had seen the sheep kick the cock before take-off. Confidence was restored thus paving the way for the first balloon ascent with a human crew a few weeks later.
One of the many slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.
This image is provided for research purposes and must not be reproduced without prior permission.For a high resolution copy of this image, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria
Date Madec. 1783 (original image)
Date Made1930-1955 (slide)
Inscription and MarksIn image: "3. THE VERSAILLES ASCENT, SEPTEMBER 19TH,1783 / Montgolfier Hot-Air Balloon ascended from Versailles with a basket containing a Sheep, a Cock and a Duck"
PeriodTo 1834
Object TypeGlass slide
Subject and Association KeywordsBalloons
Subject and Association KeywordsNotable flights
Subject and Association KeywordsFrance
Medium and MaterialsGelatin silver print on glass
Named CollectionImages collection
Object numberGS-USM-03
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
