Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It

Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It

Item Information

Title:
Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It
Title (alt.):
Bird's eye view of Boston, made by Samuel A. King and J. W. Black
Photographer:
Black, James Wallace, 1825-1896
Name on Item:
J. W. Black
Date:
October 13, 1860
Format:
Photographs
Genre:
Photographic prints
Aerial photographs
Location:
Boston Public Library
Arts Department
Collection (local):
Boston Pictorial Archive
Series:
General Views of Boston > General Views
Subjects:
Cities & towns
Places:
Massachusetts > Suffolk (county) > Boston
Extent:
1 photographic print ; 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/cf95jj40x
Terms of Use:
No Copyright - United States
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Notes:
Title and date from item, from additional material accompanying item, or from information provided by the Boston Public Library.
Earliest extant aerial photograph taken in the United States from Samuel A. King's balloon while tethered over Boston Common.
Additional information: The first successful aerial photograph in America was taken in Boston on October 13, 1860. Two photographers made eight exposures from "The Queen of the Air," a balloon tethered 1200 feet above the city. Because of movement of the balloon and the use of "wet" plates, only one picture turned out well.
See: Taft, Robert. "Photography and the American scene," N. Y., 1938, pp. 186-188
Handwritten note on item verso: Original plate for this is in Museum of American Photograph in Philadelphia.
Identifier:
08_02_004841
Call #:
Cab 23.60.1.1 (no longer used)
250.126 Vol. 1 (no longer used)