As always, the Manuscripts Division has been diligently processing unique collections to make them available for research. All are welcome to research at the Clements Library, so request an appointment if any of these collections are calling your name!
Additional and related resources for “Up, Up, and Away: A History of Ballooning in America.”
For many Americans, the whole fascination with ballooning was the prospect of being able to look down on the world.
The experience of going up in a balloon was still very much a novelty, but the idea of a balloon was becoming familiar.
This highly dangerous business was accompanied by an increase in accidents and fatalities among aeronauts.
By the 1830s, American ballooning had reached its heyday. American aeronauts made technological improvements that allowed them to achieve higher and farther flights.
This exhibit examines the history of balloon flight in the United States from Blanchard’s first ascension to the early twentieth century.
While visiting the William L. Clements Library in person is highly recommended, we also maintain a variety of digital resources for doing research with our collections from afar. This blog post is meant to exist as a jumping-off point for doing digital research with our collections, not as an exhaustive guide.
