Professor Lowe observing the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., from his balloon.
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1884-1907
label: date photograph taken
content: June 1862
name: label: Associated Name
content: Brady, Mathew B.
label: maker
content: Brady, Mathew B.
notes: label: Description
content: Stereograph titled "Professor Lowe observing the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., from his balloon.", number 2348 in the series "The War for the Union. / Photographic History." The photograph shows a group of soldiers in the Union Army holding ropes tethering a hot air balloon in a camp with several tents and trees visible in the background. The balloon is barely visible in the top of the frame but a man in a basket suspended beneath is clearly visible, and he appears to be directing the operation. The man is Thaddeus Lowe, who demonstrated the military potential of his hot air balloon for President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and was thereafter appointed Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army’s balloon corps. Lowe made reconnaissance ascensions throughout the Civil War until the corps was disbanded in 1863. The balloon shown in this photo was his "Intrepid." The stereo photograph is mounted on an orange card printed on recto with the series name "The War for the Union. / Photographic History." and on verso with "1861. WAR VIEWS. 1865. / No. 2348. / Professor Lowe observing the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., from his balloon. / These are the original views taken by 'Brady,' the Government Artist, during 1861-2-3-4-5. / They can be obtained only of John C. Taylor, 17 Allen Place, Hartford, Conn. / [Copyrighted.]"
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Hartford
label: place photograph taken
content: United States: Virginia, Henrico
topic: label: Subject
content: Civil War
label: Subject
content: Civil War Photography
label: Subject
content: Ballooning
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Military
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.6604
label: catalog number
content: 6604
objectType: label: Object Name
content: stereograph
label: Object Name
content: stereoview
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 3/8 in x 6 7/8 in; 8.5725 cm x 17.4625 cm