Beschreibung:

* JEFFRIES, Dr. John (1745-1819). A Narrative of Two Aerial Voyages of Doctor Jeffries with Mons. Blanchard; with Meteorological Observations and Remarks. The First Voyage… November, 1784, from London into Kent: The Second, on the seventh of January, 1785, from England into France. London: Printed for the Author, 1786. 4to (264 x 215 mm). With engraved frontispiece, portrait and one engraved plate printed in brown. (Lacking half-title; frontispiece mounted repairing loss on lower margin and with imprint supplied in Ms.; engraved plate stained, trimmed and mounted; lower edges of most leaves frayed; leaves darkened at edges throughout from smoke or water damage.) Early 20th-century half roan (spine ends chipped). Provenance : Mrs. Morton (presentation inscription); Lord Kings Norton, Wooton Underwood (DATES) President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (bookplate). FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed by the author on title-page: "Presented to Mrs. Morton by The Author." Jeffries was a wealthy American doctor from Boston residing in London and keenly interested in ballooning since having seen Count Zambeccari's ascents in 1783. Together with Jean-Pierre Blanchard, the failed challenger to the Mongolfier brothers, they made the first flight over the English Channel on January 7, 1785, from Dover to the coast of Calais. For this feat, and an earlier balloon flight in November 1784, Jeffries is considered the first American to fly. Brockett 6577; ESTC T10668. RARE: only one other inscribed copy has appeared at auction according to online databases. Estimate $1,000-1,500