A View Of Paris In 1878 ... From The Air

Frenchman Henri Giffard was the creator of the first powered flying machine - a steam powered airship. By the time these photographs of Paris were taken in 1878, it had been 26 years since Henri Giffard's pioneering powered flight in 1852. Now he dedicated himself to helping the masses take to the air for their first flight aboard his tethered balloon - installed in the courtyard of the Tuileries, Paris.

Because unpowered balloons are largely lacking in directional control, we see the area surrounded by tethering devices, large winches and balloon ballast to provide a safe flight over the city and return to the original liftoff location.