Over 200 years ago, humanity freed itself from Earth's bounds when the first hot air balloon was launched in France. The title of this PBS-aired NOVA documentary from filmmaker Stéphane Bégoin is somewhat misleading: Benjamin Franklin played no part in the balloon launches, but he was fortunate enough to witness the amazing sight while on a diplomatic mission in France and he thoroughly chronicled his observations in journals and correspondence. Two brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier created the hot air balloon, apparently from paper and cotton, after one of the men observed his wife's blouse floating up while drying over a fire. Heat caused the air to expand and rise, but the brothers believed there was an added element, which they dubbed "Montgolfier gas," and they would later fuel their launches with decidedly exotic items such as wool, rotten meat, and old shoes. Naturally, the sight of unmanned balloons floating over the countryside caused a bit of a stir; some believed that the balloons represented witchcraft, and when one returned to earth, peasants attacked it with scythes and flails. At first, King Louis XVI was hesitant to approve a manned launch, fearing that passengers would die. People were even unsure whether the air above was breathable, or how high or far the balloon would travel. A balloon launch in Paris brought out half the city's population, setting off a "balloon mania" in cities across Europe. The documentary also looks at modern day efforts to recreate early voyages, which employ authentic details in highly decorated balloons and gondolas honoring the glories of King Louis's reign. By 1785, a balloon crossed the English Channel (eventually blown off course to Belgium) and a new era of progress was born. Combining engaging details with scientific research, this slice of early tech history—which nicely ties in with Richard Holmes's 2013 critically-acclaimed book Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air—is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
Ben Franklin's Balloons
(2014) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-62789-132-5. Volume 30, Issue 2
Ben Franklin's Balloons
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