A Splash of Color for Winter

By Suzanne Norquist

Now that the holidays are over and white landscapes abound, I would welcome some color in my dreary world. And what better way to find it than with festive balloons? The colored latex filled with air or helium are just the thing to brighten one’s mood.

Balloons haven’t always been fanciful party decorations. In ancient times, children played with balloons made of animal innards. And scientists used them in experiments. Galileo, in the 14^th century, used a pig’s bladder to measure the weight of air.

That’s enough about body parts—on to more recent history.

Larger balloons came along before the smaller ones. The Montgolfier brothers constructed a hot air balloon capable of carrying people in 1783. They first tested it with a sheep, a hen, and a duck. After that successful flight, people took to the air. That same year, Jacques Charles built a hydrogen balloon for passengers.

The smaller version came about as part of a scientific experiment to study the properties of gases. In 1824, Michael Faraday fashioned balloons out of rubber. He cut two pieces of rubber and pressed the gummy edges together. Flour sprinkled in the middle kept the insides from sticking. One of the things he learned was that hydrogen-filled balloons would float.

 

By the following year, Thomas Hancock, a pioneer in rubber manufacturing, was selling DIY balloon kits in England. They included liquid rubber and a syringe to blow it into a ball.

In 1847, J.G. Ingram of England introduced balloons made from vulcanized rubber latex, the prototype for modern balloons. Latex was harvested from rubber trees, which was then heated and processed with sulfur. The temperature didn’t affect these balloons as much as the natural rubber ones.

By 1889, people could purchase red rubber balloons in the Montgomery Ward catalog. However, they weren’t manufactured in the United States until 1907.

The long, skinny balloons used for balloon twisting were introduced in 1912.

They have provided entertainment for over one hundred years. In the early 1900s, Samuel Sarmiento was known as the "Balloonatic.” Ted Metz went by the title "King of the Balloon Twisters” in the 1920s and 1930s. And “Mr. Balloon” enthralled audiences of the 1950s and 1960s. Marvin Hardy dominated the balloon entertainment scene of the 1970s and 1980s.

When someone wanted balloons to float, they typically filled them with hydrogen. Unfortunately, the gas is notoriously unstable and tends to explode, causing harm to those around it. In the nineteen-teens, firefighters in New York tried to ban the use of this hazardous gas in balloons.

After a serious accident involving hydrogen balloons at a New York City function, hydrogen was banned in the city. Manufacturers switched to helium, which is also lighter than air but is chemically stable.

With the safer gas, creative individuals found all kinds of uses for them. Helen Warny started the Toy Balloon Company in New York, which used them for advertising, parade floats, and fashionable window displays.

In 1931, Neil Tillotson developed the modern process for manufacturing balloons by dipping a mold into the latex. This development enabled the safe and inexpensive mass production of balloons. It turned a novelty item into a party essential.

For fun, Tillotson cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a cat’s head and dipped it. The result was a “cat’s head” balloon that kept its shape when blown up.

There have been a few other advancements, such as balloon-within-a-balloon and mylar balloons. However, the basic product has remained essentially unchanged for the last hundred years.

If I want to have a party to scare away the winter doldrums, I can decorate with balloons—the kind that don’t explode.

 

***

 

Love In Bloom 4-in-one collection

“A Song for Rose” by Suzanne Norquist

Can a disillusioned tenor convince an aspiring soprano that there is more to music than fame?

“Holly & Ivy” by Mary Davis

At Christmastime, a young woman accompanies her impetuous younger sister on her trip across the country to be a mail-order bride and loses her heart to a gallant stranger.

“Periwinkle in the Park” by Kathleen E. Kovach

A female hiking guide, who is helping to commission a national park, runs into conflict with a mountain man determined to keep the government off his land.

“A Beauty in a Tansy”

Two adjacent store owners are drawn to each other, but their older relatives provide obstacles to their ever becoming close.

Republished from Bouquet of Brides

Buy links: https://books2read.com/u/bOOx8K

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Bloom-Mary-Davis/dp/B0FPLFYCXR/

 

 

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

 

Hot Air Balloons in the 1700's

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the existence of dinosaurs in Colorado. Hard to believe when you look at the land today, but there are fossilized footprints and tons of evidence all over the state. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/08/dinosaurs-in-colorado.html.

Today, let's move from what roamed about the ground to what soars high in the sky and entertains millions every year.

* * * * *

The History of Ballooning

This past weekend marked the 44th anniversary of a hot air balloon festival in Colorado Springs. Every year on Labor Day weekend, dozens of pilots gather in Memorial Park to launch their amazing balloons over the heads of thousands of attendees just as the sun is peeking through the morning clouds and shining on the "purple mountain majesty" mountains to the west. They also do a balloon "glow" at sunset where the balloons remain grounded but inflated and at set times, they all release the liquid propane into the burners and shoot the flames inside, making them "glow." It's quite a sight to see, and my family has made it a tradition to go every year.

This year was a bit different due to the restrictions of large gatherings, so instead of a single gathering at one park, the festival spread out all over the city. There were 15 different launch sites and balloons filled the air from every direction it seemed. Since they were too far away from my vantage point, I'm sharing some photos from previous years.

     

After hearing and answering a slew of questions from my children about hot air balloons and how they work, I decided to check out a little bit of history. What I discovered surprised me, since I learned people have been flying in balloons for over 200 years!! Who would have thought that could even be possible?

And Americans were actually late to ballooning...by almost 50 years! The first manned balloon ride was in Paris in 1783, almost half a century before the famed Charles Durant. A year later, in 1784, a group crossed the English Channel.

The first balloon flight in America was in 1793, observed by a rather substantial crowd which included President Washington. However, the aeronaut was Frenchman Jean Pierre Francois Blanchard. Therefore, when Durant took off in 1830, he was the first *American.* Ballooning still seemed new and exciting in the United States, and not many had succeeded. The New York Post wrote:

"The spectacle drew many people to the Battery, which was literally covered with an immense multitude of every age, sex, and color, whose faces were all turned upward. It is estimated that upwards of 20,000 people were collected to see a man risk his neck for their amusement and for their money."

Amazing isn't it, how many people will pay a lot of money to watch someone else attempt death-defying feats?

For this particular showcase, Durant wore a top hat and tails. That attire alone would draw a crowd, but it also lent a certain air of sophistication to his imminent journey and flight. Once in the air, he was aloft for about three hours, and he landed in a field in New Jersey, surprising the farmer named Johnson who owned the land. Three years later, in May 1833, Durant published a letter in the Journal of Commerce called "A New York Balloon Ascension." I just love the eloquence showcased here in his descriptive recounting of the experience:

"Here burst upon my sight one of the most imposing views I have ever beheld. Call it majestic, splendid, or sublime — invoke a Shakespeare's mind to describe, or a painter's to portray it — even thought must fail to conceive the rich downy softness and white fleecy accumulation of clouds piled in waves as far as the eye could reach, covering the earth, and closing to my sight the land, water, and everything, animate or inanimate, that I had so long and often viewed with delight. Above me nothing but a clear, cerulean expanse — the golden sun-beams spreading over the vast ocean of clouds, and extending through immensity of space where sight is bounded, and from whence even thought returns, unable to traverse the confines of the vast field beyond."

Doesn't that make you want to find someone who owns a hot air balloon and beg them for a ride? I know my children beg me every year to ride in one, and so far, I have been successful in deterring them. It's an expensive venture. Nearly $250 per person! I might be able to at least get them into the basket of a balloon next year so they can take a picture. Between now and then, we'll see if I can manage an actual flight. Personally, I'd like to take one first -- one that ends with a glass of wine to toast the successful adventure. *winks*

The commercial airlines, particularly since the security checks became intrusive, have since taken some of the romance out of flying, but there is still a definite fascination which exists in many hearts and minds about the idea of soaring through the sky, high above the ground below, free as a bird and floating on the wind. Something about freedom, wouldn't you agree?

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever taken a ride in a hot air balloon or stood inside the basket?

* Is there a hot air balloon festival near you, or have you attended one at any point in your life?

* If you could take a hot air balloon ride anywhere you wanted, where would you go?

* What did you like most about today's post?

---

BIO


Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (23) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Hot Air Balloon Flights -- the History of Ballooning

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the The Stourbridge Lion, America's very first steam locomotive. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2018/08/the-stourbridge-lion-americas-first.html.

In that post, I asked if anyone had ridden a steam locomotive. How about a hot air balloon?

* * * * *

The History of Ballooning

This past weekend marked the 42nd anniversary of a hot air balloon festival in Colorado Springs. Every year on Labor Day weekend, dozens of pilots gather in Memorial Park to launch their amazing balloons over the heads of thousands of attendees just as the sun is peeking through the morning clouds and shining on the "purple mountain majesty" mountains to the west. They also do a balloon "glow" at sunset where the balloons remain grounded but inflated and at set times, they all release the liquid propane into the burners and shoot the flames inside, making them "glow." It's quite a sight to see, and my family has made it a tradition to go every year.

This year was no different. Here are just half a dozen photos from what I captured:

     

After hearing and answering a slew of questions from my children about hot air balloons and how they work, I decided to check out a little bit of history. What I discovered surprised me, since I learned people have been flying in balloons for over 200 years!! Who would have thought that could even be possible?

And Americans were actually late to ballooning...by almost 50 years! The first manned balloon ride was in Paris in 1783, almost half a century before the famed Charles Durant. A year later, in 1784, a group crossed the English Channel.

The first balloon flight in America was in 1793, observed by a rather substantial crowd which included President Washington. However, the aeronaut was Frenchman Jean Pierre Francois Blanchard. Therefore, when Durant took off in 1830, he was the first American. Ballooning still seemed new and exciting in the United States, and not many had succeeded. The New York Post wrote:

"The spectacle drew many persons to the Battery, which was literally covered with an immense multitude of every age, sex, and color, whose faces were all turned upward. It is estimated that upwards of 20,000 persons were collected to see a man risk his neck for their amusement and for their money."

Amazing isn't it, how many people will pay a lot of money to watch someone else attempt death-defying feats?

For this particular showcase, Durant wore a top hat and tails. That attire alone would draw a crowd, but it also lent a certain air of sophistication to his imminent journey and flight. Once in the air, he was aloft for about three hours, and he landed in a field in New Jersey, surprising the farmer named Johnson who owned the land. Three years later, in May 1833, Durant published a letter in the Journal of Commerce called "A New York Balloon Ascension." I just love the eloquence showcased here in his descriptive recounting of the experience:

"Here burst upon my sight one of the most imposing views I have ever beheld. Call it majestic, splendid, or sublime — invoke a Shakespeare's mind to describe, or a painter's to portray it — even thought must fail to conceive the rich downy softness and white fleecy accumulation of clouds piled in waves as far as the eye could reach, covering the earth, and closing to my sight the land, water, and everything, animate or inanimate, that I had so long and often viewed with delight. Above me nothing but a clear, cerulean expanse — the golden sun-beams spreading over the vast ocean of clouds, and extending through immensity of space where sight is bounded, and from whence even thought returns, unable to traverse the confines of the vast field beyond."

Now, doesn't that just make you want to find someone who owns a hot air balloon and beg them for a ride? I know my children beg me every year to ride in one, and so far, I have been successful in deterring them. It's an expensive prospect! Nearly $250 per person! After chatting with some friends at the balloon festival this past weekend, though, I think I might be able to at least get them into the basket of a balloon next year so they can take a picture. Between now and then, we'll see if I can manage an actual flight. Personally, I'd like to take one first -- one that ends with a glass of wine to toast the successful adventure. *winks*

The commercial airlines, particularly since the security checks became intrusive, have since taken some of the romance out of flying, but there is still a definite fascination which exists in many hearts and minds about the idea of soaring through the sky, high above the ground below, free as a bird and floating on the wind. Something about freedom, wouldn't you agree?

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever flown in a hot air balloon or stood inside the basket?

* Is there a hot air balloon festival near you, or have you attended one at any point in your life?

* If you could take a hot air balloon ride anywhere you wanted, where would you go?

* What did you like most about today's post?

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an author and speaker who works in the health & wellness and personal development industry, helping others become their best from the inside out. She is also an educational consultant with Usborne Books.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs: Nova, a Shiba-Inu/Chihuahua mix and Nugget a Corgi/Chihuahua mix, in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and LinkedIn.

Dirigibles, Balloons, and Flying Machines...oh my!

by Kathleen Y'Barbo

When you think of dirigibles, balloons and flying machines, do you expect to learn that these modes of transportation go all the way back to the eighteenth century? I certainly didn't!

According to my research, the Montgolfier brothers were the first to send up a balloon beyond the one-mile mark in 1783. Later that same year, a French physicist made the first manned balloon flight. To put these flights into perspective, there was no means of propulsion available to these intrepid inventors, so their balloons were left at the mercy of the wind until a steering mechanism was invented many years later.

In my latest novel, Millie's Treasure, the Pinkerton agent hero finds a pamphlet called Aerial Navigation: New York to California in Three Days among Millie's books in her library.  What readers might not know is that this pamphlet and its author, Rufus Porter, form the most interesting story I found while searching for information on these fascinating flying machines. Of course, there's nothing new about flying across the country from the East Coast to the West Coast, but when you consider that Mr. Porter was offering a chance to make this flight in 1849, that chances things, doesn't it?

So who was Rufus Porter? He was a prolific inventor who received patents for a number of inventions including a washing machine, a corn sheller, and a revolving rifle that was sold to Samuel Colt for the princely sum of $100. His idea of flying miners out to the California gold fields was one he felt would be quite successful. Porter offered space for 50 to 100 people on his Aerial Transport at the cost of $200 each. Traveling at expected speeds of 60 to 100 miles per hour, round trips to the California gold fields were projected to take a quick 7 days! Unfortunately, after three attempts that were derailed by weather and vandalism, Porter scrapped his plans. As a postscript to this story, modern scientists have since marveled over the forward thinking technology of Porter's airship, and most agree that had he actually managed to complete the building of this invention, it would have very likely performed exactly as Rufus Porter claimed it would.

Can you imagine how something like Mr. Porter's Aerial Transport might have changed history? Talk about a gold rush!

_______________________________

Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a Carol Award and RITA nominee of fifty novels with almost two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad and nominations including a Career Achievement Award, Reader’s Choice Awards, Romantic Times Book of the Year, and several Romantic Times Top Picks. A proud military wife and tenth-generation Texan, she now cheers on her beloved Aggies from north of the Red River. Find out more at www.kathleenybarbo.com.