Maggs Bros.

A lovely print celebrating the achievements of balloonist (“aerial mariner”), Jean Pierre Blanchard (1753-1809), especially his crossing of the English Channel on 7th January, 1785. The print states that a pyramid was built to mark the spot of his landing and, in addition to being awarded a substantial pension, Louis XVII designated the area should thence be named the Canton of Blanchard.

Blanchard’s adventures continued: on 9 January, 1793, he made the first balloon flight in America, flying from the Walnut St jail in Philadelphia to Deptford in Gloucester County, New Jersey.