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  3. IMAGO International History, Archive, American Civil War, Aerial reconnaissance with hot air balloons 1861-1865

IMAGO International History, Archive, American Civil War, Aerial reconnaissance with hot air balloons 1861-1865

Mar 24, 2025

The following photos have been selected for you by the IMAGO picture desk on this topic. For more pictures please use the search function.

Images in this collection

  • CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1861. Men preparing a reconnaissance balloon for a flight at the camp of Union general Irvin McDowell. Engraving after Ed. Pietsch, from Harper s Weekly, 1861. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0652072

    CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1861. Men preparing a reconnaissance balloon for a flight at the camp of Union general Irvin McDowell. Engraving after Ed. Pietsch, from Harper s Weekly, 1861. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0652072

  • CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1862. Professor Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe inflating his reconnaissance balloon Intrepid on Gaines Hill, Virginia, shortly before the Battle of Fair Oaks during the American Civil War, May 1862. Photograph by Mathew Brady or one of his assistants. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0163359

    CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1862. Professor Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe inflating his reconnaissance balloon Intrepid on Gaines Hill, Virginia, shortly before the Battle of Fair Oaks during the American Civil War, May 1862. Photograph by Mathew Brady or one of his assistants. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0163359

  • CIVIL WAR: GAS GENERATORS. Union soldiers in Washington, D.C., 1863, with balloon gas generators used by Thaddeus S.C. Lowe s Army Aeronautic Corps when surveying Confederate troop movements across the Potomac River. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0083346

    CIVIL WAR: GAS GENERATORS. Union soldiers in Washington, D.C., 1863, with balloon gas generators used by Thaddeus S.C. Lowe s Army Aeronautic Corps when surveying Confederate troop movements across the Potomac River. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0083346

  • CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1862. Professor Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe inflating his reconnaissance balloon Intrepid on Gaines Hill, Virginia, shortly before the Battle of Fair Oaks during the American Civil War, May 1862. Photograph by Mathew Brady or one of his assistants. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0029231

    CIVIL WAR: BALLOON, 1862. Professor Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe inflating his reconnaissance balloon Intrepid on Gaines Hill, Virginia, shortly before the Battle of Fair Oaks during the American Civil War, May 1862. Photograph by Mathew Brady or one of his assistants. Copyright: xGRANGERx xGRANGERx 0029231

  • Thaddeus S. C. Lowe (1832-1913) and his Balloon Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe (who called himself Professor Lowe) was an aviation pioneer and a Civil War hot air balloonist. He was Chief Aeronaut of the Army of the Potomac during the war. His corps had seven balloons. He made over 3,000 ascents, some from Navy ships. Here he fills the balloon with gas. xx EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx MES18936 x picturehistory006783

    Thaddeus S. C. Lowe (1832-1913) and his Balloon Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe (who called himself Professor Lowe) was an aviation pioneer and a Civil War hot air balloonist. He was Chief Aeronaut of the Army of the Potomac during the war. His corps had seven balloons. He made over 3,000 ascents, some from Navy ships. Here he fills the balloon with gas. xx EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx MES18936 x picturehistory006783

  • RECORD DATE NOT STATED Professor Lowe s military balloon near Gaines Mill, Virginia. Title from item, No. 2350, Inscribed on item: Copyright 1910 by Patriot Publishing Company, No copyright renewal 3 23 61, Copyright J148523 Feb. 5, 1910, Published in: Eyes of the nation : a visual history of the United States Vincent Virga and curators of the Library of Congress ; historical commentary by Alan Brinkley. New York : Knopf, 1997, No digital image for LC-USZ62-3338-A. Lowe, T. S. C, (Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt), 1832-1913, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Air operations, Balloons (Aircraft), Virginia, 1860-1870, United States, Virginia. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-786 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

    RECORD DATE NOT STATED Professor Lowe s military balloon near Gaines Mill, Virginia. Title from item, No. 2350, Inscribed on item: Copyright 1910 by Patriot Publishing Company, No copyright renewal 3 23 61, Copyright J148523 Feb. 5, 1910, Published in: Eyes of the nation : a visual history of the United States Vincent Virga and curators of the Library of Congress ; historical commentary by Alan Brinkley. New York : Knopf, 1997, No digital image for LC-USZ62-3338-A. Lowe, T. S. C, (Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt), 1832-1913, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Air operations, Balloons (Aircraft), Virginia, 1860-1870, United States, Virginia. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-786 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

  • RECORD DATE NOT STATED Falmouth, Virginia, vicinity. Balloon camp. Civil war photographs, 1861-1865 , Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Burnside s Expedition to North Carolina, 1862, , Balloons (Aircraft), United States, Virginia, Falmouth. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-17962 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

    RECORD DATE NOT STATED Falmouth, Virginia, vicinity. Balloon camp. Civil war photographs, 1861-1865 , Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Burnside s Expedition to North Carolina, 1862, , Balloons (Aircraft), United States, Virginia, Falmouth. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-17962 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

  • RECORD DATE NOT STATED Professor Lowe s balloon Eagle in a storm. Title from item, Landauer Collection. Lowe, T. S. C, (Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt), 1832-1913, Balloons (Aircraft), 1860-1870, Military personnel, Union, 1860-1870, StForms, 1860-1870, Rain, 1860-1870, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Military tactics, Union. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-1251 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

    RECORD DATE NOT STATED Professor Lowe s balloon Eagle in a storm. Title from item, Landauer Collection. Lowe, T. S. C, (Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt), 1832-1913, Balloons (Aircraft), 1860-1870, Military personnel, Union, 1860-1870, StForms, 1860-1870, Rain, 1860-1870, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Military tactics, Union. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-1251 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

  • RECORD DATE NOT STATED The War balloon at General M Dowell s head-quarters preparing for a reconnoissance sketched by Ed. Pietsch.. Illus. from: Harper s weekly, 1861 Oct. 26, p. 679. Balloons (Aircraft), 1860-1870, Military reconnaissance, 1860-1870, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Military facilities. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-1707 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

    RECORD DATE NOT STATED The War balloon at General M Dowell s head-quarters preparing for a reconnoissance sketched by Ed. Pietsch.. Illus. from: Harper s weekly, 1861 Oct. 26, p. 679. Balloons (Aircraft), 1860-1870, Military reconnaissance, 1860-1870, United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, Military facilities. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-1707 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

  • RECORD DATE NOT STATED Confederate fortifications, Yorktown, Virginia. No. B141, Title from item, Hand written on verso: Miller, vol. 8, page 371, Hand written on verso from an unidentified source: Confederate Battery at Yorktown which fired upon the Federal Balloonist and upon which Balloon Bryan looked down. (Capt. John Randolph Bryan), Gift; Col. Godwin Ordway; 1948. United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, United States, Virginia, Yorktown. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-10007 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

    RECORD DATE NOT STATED Confederate fortifications, Yorktown, Virginia. No. B141, Title from item, Hand written on verso: Miller, vol. 8, page 371, Hand written on verso from an unidentified source: Confederate Battery at Yorktown which fired upon the Federal Balloonist and upon which Balloon Bryan looked down. (Capt. John Randolph Bryan), Gift; Col. Godwin Ordway; 1948. United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865, United States, Virginia, Yorktown. Copyright: xpiemagsx civwarpietiff12032023-10007 !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT!

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