Flying (Group 2)

In 1896, Henry Schfrren published “Flight Without Wings” in The Boys Own Paper. The article studies the modes of flight that non-avian animals engage in. Pictured is the flight of the Siberian flying squirrel. Schfrren describes how this animal has a “flying membrane”: essentially, this is excess skin that protrudes from the creature’s elbow. In addition to this membrane, the Siberian flying… more

This illustration features meteorologist James Glaisher and balloonist Henry Tracey Coxwell ascending from Wolverhampton in their gas balloon in 1862. They rose an estimated 35,000 feet, by far the greatest height reached by a gas balloon at the time, and ultimately had to descend due to lack of oxygen. Glaisher and Coxwell’s flight was one of many during the… more

In the Victorian period, angels were frequently depicted as winged women, reflecting cultural ideals that linked femininity to moral purity, emotional sensitivity, and self-sacrificing care. Women were associated with angelic figures because of their perceived nurturing roles within both family and society. As Anna Rose notes, this feminized imagery was partly a… more

This illustration by Leon Benett is titled “The Clipper of the Clouds” from Jules Verne’s science fiction piece, Robur the Conqueror. The novel was published periodically in Boys Own Paper: this section, “On Board the Albatross” was published on December 11th, 1886. The Albatross, or, the “Clipper of the Clouds” is the name of the fictional ship that was built to conquer the skies. The flying… more

This illustration of Prince Dolor by Hugo von Hofsten, as well as several other illustrations of Dolor’s flight, depicts Dolor flying on a cloak that resembles a magic carpet. The function and appearance of the cloak are even similar to a magic carpet, as Dolor’s godmother instructs him to “set [himself] in the middle of [it]” (… more