John G. Doughty Aerial Photographs

The John G. Doughty Aerial Photographs is a set of twelve photographic albumen prints taken by John G. Doughty from a balloon over Connecticut in September 1885. Doughty's balloon ascensions departed from Winsted, Connecticut and were piloted by Alfred E. Moore. His photographs are among the first aerial photographs ever taken from a balloon.

The twelve images depict aerial views of the towns of Bloomingfield, Hartford, Simsbury, and Windsor, Connecticut, along with two unidentified towns and the Farmington River. Two images depict cloud formations. Two of the prints are mirrored, negative duplicates of other photographs in the set. Also included in the collection is the September 1886 edition of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine where Doughty described his balloon ascensions in a 14-page article titled "Balloon Experiences of a Timid Photographer," which included reproductions of some of his photographs. In addition to Doughty's article, the magazine also has a 10-page illustrated article by Alfred E. Moore titled "Amateur Ballooning."

Image identifications were taken from catalog records for duplicate prints at the Connecticut Historical Society and image captions in Doughty's article in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. The majority of prints have some fading, discoloration or losses along the edges.

Digitized Materials: This collection has been digitized in its entirety.

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