The Balloon Flight of Mme. Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin (1775–1847) 1802

"Caricatures Parisiennes - Ascension de Madame Garnerin, le 28 mars 1802."
(Female Aviation Pioneer Mme. Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin (née Labrosse) (1775–1847))
Published by Aaron Martinet (1762-1841)
Martinet Libraire, rue de Coq Saint-Honoré
Paris c.1802
Etching with hand colouring

Measures:
20.8 cm high x 25.9 cm wide

Lettered "Caricatures Parisiennes", "Ascension de Madame Garnerin, le 28 mars 1802.", "Le goût du jour no. 8." and with publication line "A Paris chez Martinet libraire, rue du Coq St Honoré"

Provenance:
Lot 297, Christie's London "Decorative, Sporting and Topographical Prints", 17th May 1988

Antique French hand-coloured fashion plate depicting the costumes of a group witnessing a balloon flight by Mme. Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin (née Labrosse) (1775–1847) (one of the pioneering women balloonists and parachutists).  Mme. Garnerin was one of the first woman to fly in a balloon, the first woman to ascend solo in a balloon without a male pilot and the first woman to make a parachute descent. Her husband, André-Jacques Garnerin (1769–1823), held the position of Official Aeronaut of France and was unofficially known as the aérostatier des fêtes publiques. They visited England during the Peace of Amiens in 1802 and completed a number of demonstration flights, including ascending from the Volunteer Ground in North Audley Street, Grosvenor Square and a parachute descent to a field near St Pancras. It is interesting to note the date of the flight illustrated being "28 March 1802" - the day after the signing of the Treaty of Amiens - possibly indicating that it was a celebratory flight to mark the occasion.

For similar see British Museum [1856,0712.621] and Library of Congress [2002722377]