loading image

As the twentieth century neared, the balloon had been in existence for over a hundred years and, except for a small number of newly introduced airships and gliders, was the most prevalent form of aviation up to that time. The first viable airplane would not be introduced to the public until 1908 (due primarily to the secrecy of the Wright brothers following their first successful flight in 1903). Hence, aeronauts continued to look for new uses for the balloon over the next decade. This 1910 photo from Oakland, CA, shows a balloon ascension with onlookers. Our exhibition on the history of ballooning, "Into the Ether: Published Works on Ballooning and Atmospheric Studies, 1783–1910" is on display in the Aviation Museum and Library. http://bit.ly/IntoTheEther Image: Oakland, California, balloon ascension, 1910. Gift of the Captain John B. Russell Family. 2013.068.004 This image was posted on October 18, 2018.

Similar Instagram posts

Lincoln Beachey was born in San Francisco in 1887. This image was posted on November 04, 2015. #ppie #ppie100
This image was posted on April 02, 2015. #ppie100 #ppie #sfhistory #avgeek #tbt
In 1929, the German airship, LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin completed an ambitious, 21-day, round-the-world trip in sponsored by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. This image was posted on May 19, 2017. #german #grafzeppelin #hearst #sfhistory #transpacific #avgeek #aviationhistory
During the first years of powered flight, a number of courageous women took to the skies at a time when popular opinion held that flying was both socially inappropriate and physically impossible for women. This image was posted on May 23, 2022. #earlywomenaviators #avgeek #aviationhistory
A great promoter of aviation, as well as astronomy and botany, the British author Gertrude Bacon was an experienced balloonist and one of the first women to fly as a passenger in an airplane. This image was posted on November 04, 2015.
The dedication ceremony of Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco, the original name of San Francisco International Airport, commenced #onthisday in 1927. This image was posted on May 07, 2019. #millsfield #sfohistory #sfhistory #avgeek #avationgeek #aviation #aviationhistory #vintageaviation #history #avhistory #aviationgeeks #avgeeks
On April 6, 1926, Walter T. Varney, a flight school and air taxi operator from San Francisco, launched his air mail service. This image was posted on April 08, 2019. #varney #unitedairlines #united #boeing #boeingair
Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier, the Blériot XI monoplane took off on its maiden flight #onthisday in 1909. This image was posted on January 23, 2023.
This image was posted on November 25, 2015. #womeninaviation #avgeek

This post mentions the following things involved with the SFO Museum collection: