First Looks

City Portraits | Kites | Rockets | Pigeons | Balloons

City Portraits

Early interest in the aerial view took the form of idealized sketches depicting how cities would look if viewed from above. In the 19th century, towns all across the U.S. commissioned these "bird's-eye view" drawings.

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Panoramic view of Hannibal, MO. drawn in 1869 by Albert Ruger.
From the Library of Congress

Kites

In 1895, Lt. Hugh D. Wise of the 9th Infantry Division experimented with photo kites at Madison Barracks, New York. He built an 18-foot high kite and attached a box camera to the string. Triggered by a timing device, the camera took photos from an altitude of 180 meters (600 feet).
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Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

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Wise's Kite Camera.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

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A photo kite was used to produce this aerial view of the parade ground at Madison Barracks.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

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Photo kite testing at Governor's Island, New York, 1895.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

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San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. The photographer, G.R. Lawrence, flew an array of 17 kites to hoist his camera aloft.

A Bird's Eye View

First Looks-Rockets