1900 By Land and Sky

Description

First Edition, Illustrated, Leather Binding

The first edition of this work. This work is an octavo. Illustrated with a frontispiece, and three plates. Collated, complete. This work is a fascinating history of aviation, looking at the early years of attempts to build a manned flying machine. Bacon here focussing on the fascination with ballooning, an early form of flying, that had, when this was published, only been around successfully for about one-hundred and fifty years. The author describes his own experiences with ballooning, discussing his first ascent and subsequent adventures. He had been interested in aeronautics since his boyhood, and his first ascent in a balloon took place from Crystal Palace on the 20th August 1888. Whilst on these ascents, Bacon also did meteorological researching. In 1888, Bacon became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He underwent his ballooning and meteorological experiments with the help of his daughter, Gertrude, who paved the way for women in the aeronautical field. Prior owner's ink inscription to the recto to the front free endpaper, 'J. D. M. Tinline, No. 97. A'. From the library of the Irish international hot air balloonist Wilf Woollett. The first edition of John Bacon's history of flight.