Beschreibung:

Parachute experiment. Robert Cocking’s Leap of Faith, July 24, 1837, original poster advertising the descent, Royal Gardens, Vauxhall, Monday 24 July, 1837, printed in red and blue (small marginal tear, old folds and some minor soiling), together with The Casket of Literature, Science and Entertainment, August 5, 1837, 4 pp. section relevant to the descent, with an engraving of Cocking’s parachute and report (one or two tears and marginal water stains), a printed sheet to raise funds for Cockin’s widow, a manuscript account of payments and receipts raised (45.44) and a 1 pp. letter enclosing the Commitee’s account (the poster, account and letters folded and bound together in a contemporary plain wrapper with manuscript title). Inspired by watching Andre-Jacques Garnerin’s first parachute jump in England in 1802, artist and amateur scientist Robert Cocking decided to develop an improved cone-shape parachute design, after reading Sir George Cayley’s On Aerial Navigation. After approaching the owners of the Royal Nassau balloon, Charles Green and Edward Spencer, they agreed to suspend Cocking’s parachute below the balloon and attempted to reach a height of 8000 feet over Greenwich. However owing to the weight of both balloon and parachute the ascent only reached 5000 feet, when Cocking released the parachute, which due to miscalculations in the weight of the parachute, resulted in too quick a descent, the parachute turning inside out and breaking up a few hundred feet above ground. Cocking was instantly killed and his body found in a field in Lee. (1)