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A Narrative of Forty Years' Experience as an Aeronaut. Comprising a History of the Various Attempts in the Art of Flying by Artificial Means from the Earliest Period Down to the Present, with an Account of the Author's Most Important Air-Voyages and His Many Thrilling Adventures and Hairbreadth Escapes, Also, An Appendix in Which are Given Full Instructions for the Manufacture and Management of Balloons.   Brown cloth hard cover with black decorations and gilt lettering. Complete with 650 pages. Chromolithograph frontispiece plus 77 black and white illustrations. Sound binding. Wise, who built and flew his first balloon in 1835, became a barnstormer and made hundreds of ascents at fairs and events throughout the east. By 1879, Wise was the senior and most famous American aeronaut. After 44 years of flying and 463 ascents, Wise launched his balloon from East St. Louis, Illinois in high winds, which carried him over Lake Michigan. Neither he, nor his balloon, were ever seen again.

Donated by Kurt A. Sanftleben, Montclair, VA.