Caption:

An extract from 'The Illustrated London News' celebrating the centenary of ballooning in 1883. The portraits are of famous aeronauts and aerial travelleres, including: Mrs Sage, Vincent Lunardi, Jacques Charles, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, James Sadler, Henry Coxwell, Charles Green, the Montgolfier Brothers and Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier. The other illustrations depict notable ascents, including: the first manned ascent in a Montgolfier balloon; the ascent of 'Le Flesselle'; Major Mony's perilous landing in the sea; the destruction of Charles and Robert's balloon at Gonesse; Green's night voyage to Nassau, and Robert Cocking's parachute.