Tag Archives: nineteenth century

May 28, 2014 · 4:30 pm

1888: Balloon wedding

Amanda
May 24, 2014
1800-1899,
The September 27, 1888, wedding of Margaret Buckley and Edward T. Davis was held at the Rhode Island State Fair at Narrangansett Park in Providence. An article in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper estimates that 40,000 watched as Davis and Buckley entered the “specially prepared ‘bridal car’ of the mammoth balloon Commonwealth, held down by 24 men at the guy ropes.”  After the ceremony, aeronauts James Allen and his son James K. directed the balloon skyward.At dusk, the balloon landed in a swamp near Easton, Massachusetts, about thirty miles away from Providence.  The wedding party was “obliged to cling to the ropes above the basket to keep out of the water.”  Finally rescued, the balloon tied safely to a tree, the couple completed their trip by rail.  Afterwards, Allen and the Davises reenacted their wedding for a photographer in a studio.Balloon Wedding 1 Balloon Wedding 2

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November 11, 2013 · 9:31 am

Learning to Drive a Car in 1898

Learning to Drive a Car in 1898

1898:  How to Become a Driver

Source:  Bibliotheque Nationale de France

Through Retronaut

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September 14, 2013 · 3:00 pm

Toselli Locomotive Coffee Maker – 1864

c. 1864:

Toselli Locomotive Coffee Maker

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August 31, 2013 · 4:14 pm

Exercising in 1890

The exercise equipment in 1890 in some ways is similar to those today.  They seem to have used more flywheels rather than weights or bands for resistance.  Also, they wore pretty formal clothing for a work-out.  Still, I wonder how our equipment will be viewed over 120 years from now.

1890s:

Zanders medico-mechanical gymnastics equipment

Equipment today.

Equipment today.

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May 10, 2013 · 5:49 am

Victorian Spy Camera

1886-1890:Victorian Spy Camera

“The Lancaster Watch Camera was patented in October 1886 and made until 1890. Such tiny cameras were the forerunners for the ‘spy’ camera”

– Lionel Hughes, Bonhams

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May 8, 2013 · 10:36 pm

1800’s Model Eyeball

1800s Model Eyeball 

1800 – 1899:Optical Model of the Eye

“René Descartes suggested in 1637 that to understand the properties of the eye, one should study the eyeball of a recently deceased man or a freshly killed large animal. Beginning in the late 17th century, optical models provided an alternative. The lens of the model projects an inverted and reversed image onto a matted screen on the back. Two lenses can be placed in front of the eye to demonstrate the function of corrective lenses for near- and farsightedness.”

– Corning Museum of Glass

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December 16, 2012 · 9:53 pm

19th Century Book Ads

These are all advertisements for books put out in the nineteenth century in France.

19th Century:
Book ads from 19th-century France

Ads for well-known French novels from the 19th century by Victor Hugo, Eugène Sue, and Emile Zola. Like most novels from this period, they were first published in serialized form.

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