Balloon Corner

On an afternoon in September 1784, an air balloon piloted by Italian Vincenzo Lunardi had to make an unusual pitstop — for the sake of a furry companion.

Lunardi took off in a hydrogen balloon from the grounds of the Royal Artillery in central London, with a dog, a cat, and a pigeon in a cage. The balloon travelled northwards but Lunardi had to make a stop due to his feline companion’s inability to take to air travel so well. The unwell cat was offloaded to be taken care of by a local woman, and Lunardi set off again, eventually headed north-northeast and landing near Standon Green End. His balloon was later displayed in the Pantheon on Oxford Circus, London, in an attempt to recoup costs from the expedition