1870/1910: SIEGE OF PARIS: Typed notes in 20 file folders (document
albums) assembled in the 1970s by Victor Chaneryn, comprising half
of
1870/1910: SIEGE OF PARIS: Typed notes in 20 file folders (document
albums) assembled in the 1970s by Victor Chaneryn, comprising half
of an unpublished book. This collection includes detailed studies
on approximately 25 of the 55 mail balloons and their aeronauts,
distributed across 15 file folders. The text is composed in French.
Numerous original illustrations, newspaper and magazine clippings,
engravings, xylographs, letters, brochures, and covers are
interspersed within the typed text, enriching the study. Naturally,
the collection also contains photocopies and transcriptions. While
some documents date from the time of the Siege of Paris, others
originate from the following decades, reflecting how French civil
society honoured these balloonists and documented the war in
historical retrospectives and memoirs. The collection also explores
the post-war lives of key figures, including their biographical
notes, portraits, and death notices. Three volumes are dedicated to
the military history of balloons and their aeronauts, including
pre-siege developments, while two volumes focus on pigeon post. An
extraordinary and unique assembly, offering invaluable insights
into one of the most remarkable chapters of postal and military
history
