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Our newest exhibition, "Into the Ether: Published Works on Ballooning and Atmospheric Studies, 1783–1910," will be opening in the Aviation Museum and Library tomorrow. This exhibition presents a selection of literary works on ballooning and atmospheric studies from the late eighteenth century to the early twentieth century from special collections at the SFO Museum aviation library. First created in France during the Age of Enlightenment (1685–1789) by brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier between 1782–1783, the hot air (and later hydrogen-filled) balloon’s influence on society and culture, as well as the advancement of technology and science, was profound. Not only was it the first aircraft to voyage with human passengers into the upper atmosphere, but it also set the stage for later advances in aeronautics. For more than a hundred years, until the introduction of airships, gliders, and the airplane, the balloon remained the prevalent form of aviation This image was posted on June 23, 2018.

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