$210
Early Aeronautical Image, "The First Carriage, The 'Ariel," 1843, Ackermann & Co. , London, titled, credited, and described below image within plate, aquatint with hand-color on paper, 11 7/8 x 16 5/8 in. (neatlines), 14 7/8 x 18 3/4 in. (sheet size), in a 19th century veneered frame with gilt liner, (minor toning overall with moderate to heavy toning at edges of sheet). Note: Retains label from sale in 1905 at Arthur Ackermann & Son, London, which identifies it as "Rare old coloured print, Flying Machine." In the visionary minds of its creators, the Ariel was to be the first successful flying machine, powered by steam and built for passenger travel. Patented in Great Britain in 1842 by William Samuel Henson (1812–1888) and John Stringfellow (1799–1883), it was planned for construction by the Aerial Transit Company, incorporated in 1843 and mentioned in the credit line on this print. In order to raise money for the project, the company advertised everywhere, spreading images of the machine, not yet fully constructed nor even tested, in hopes of generating widespread excitement. This print would have been part of those efforts and likely enjoyed broad circulation at the hands of its well-known publishers, successful London printsellers Ackermann & Co. Here, a full-scale machine is shown above an eager crowd, having successfully taken flight in a field outside London. In reality, no full-size model was ever built, and experiments were conducted with scale models in lar
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2013-08-05
