National Air and Space Museum Archives

Balloon Locomotive Correspondence [Haenlein]

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.1206
Creators:
Haenlein, Paul, 1835-1905
Dates:
1867
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.01 Cubic feet
1 folder
Repository:
This collection consists of a letter, and a multipage description of a "Balloon Locomotive," from inventor Paul Haenlein to U. S. Minister to the Court of St. James's, Charles Francis Adams, asking him to share the balloon locomotive plans with the U. S. government. There is also a letter from Benjamin Moran (U. S. Embassy in London) to Edward Stanton, Secretary of War under the Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson presidencies, in which the letter and description were forwarded.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of a letter, and a multipage description of a "Balloon Locomotive," from inventor Paul Haenlein to U. S. Minister to the Court of St. James's, Charles Francis Adams, asking him to share the balloon locomotive plans with the U. S. government. There is also a letter from Benjamin Moran (U. S. Embassy in London) to Edward Stanton, Secretary of War under the Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson presidencies, in which the letter and description were forwarded.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Paul Haenlein (1835–1905) was a German engineer and flight pioneer. Haenlein studied at Technische Hochschule in Karlsruhe and received his education as a mechanical engineer and pattern maker. While working as a civil engineer for different German factories, he created a dirigible airship which was powered by an internal combustion engine. In 1869, Haenlein contacted Charles Francis Adams, U. S. minister to the Court of St. James's (United Kingdom), asking him to share his balloon locomotive plans with the U. S. government in hopes of selling his invention for military purposes. In 1872 Haenlein obtained a U. S. patent (No. 130 915) "Improvement in Balloon-Locomotives" to use the otherwise wasted gas in the dirigible's engines for propelling power as well as ascending.

Administration

Author
Patricia Williams, Jessamyn Lloyd
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, NASM.XXXX.1206.
Processing Information
Arranged and described by Patricia Williams, and encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd, 2019.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
Balloon Locomotive Correspondence [Haenlein], NASM.XXXX.1206, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Balloons Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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