Balloon Artists

In 1783, the Montgolfier Brothers invented the first hot air balloon. A Montgolfier ballon soared into the sky for the first manned flight. This took place on November 21, 1783, in Paris, France.

Balloons amazed 18th century Europe and America. To create a spectacle, the balloons had elaborate decorations. Sometimes they had somewhat crazy ideas for propulsion, such as eagles pulling them!

Since then artists have created beautiful pictures of famous old balloons.

Here are some vintage lithographs of balloons for you to choose from.