Mathew B. Brady
1862, 31 May
Thaddeus Lowe's Balloon Ascent

Photographic print, composite
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Local number: SIA2011-0961 and A30915H
 
Curatorial description:
Note that this is a composite image, consisting of the May 31, 1862, stereo view photograph showing people on the ground and the basket of the balloon, with the balloon labeled "Intrepid" drawn in above the original image.
 
Image of Thaddeus Lowe's balloon test of the "Intrepid" at the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, during the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862. Lowe's balloon was used for reconnaissance for the Union Army during the Civil War. Using a telegraph the driver could send a message about Confederate camps and troop movements to soldiers below who then gave the information to Union generals. The test was supported by Smithsonian Institution Secretary Joseph Henry, who served as President Abraham Lincoln's scientific advisor during the war
 
LL/53208