Illustrations and Engravings Gallery

Ballooning CVS01_01_042

Tales of balloon flight. Hand-coloured engraving of two men in a balloon flying over London. This engraving is by William Lionel Wyllie, who made sketches over London from a balloon c.1880-1884 - this one appeared in ?The Graphic' magazine on September 11th 1880. It shows one of the balloons participating in the International Contest between England and France in 1880 that flew from Crystal Palace to Hayling Island. The contest was one of ?a serious of simultaneous ascents with the view of endeavouring to ascertain the various currents of air at different heights, as well as other collateral matters of interest.? From the Cecil Victor Shadbolt collection of lantern slides dating from 1882-1892

© Historic England

French Lancers J840002

Engraving of French Napoleonic soldiers. An Officer of the Chevaux-legers Lanciers (2nd Regiment of Imperial Guard), with a mounted private in the background. In 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo this unit formed part of General Lefebvre-Desnouettes Guard Light Cavalry Division, which took part in Marshal Ney's massed cavalry attack on the British lines. They had also been engaged at the Battle of Quatre Bras on 16th June as scouts ahead of Marshal Ney's main body

© Historic England

Westminster Palace AA98_06490

Burning of Parliament, London. Copy of an etching looking north across the River Thames showing the destruction of the Houses of Lords and Commons by fire on 16th October 1834. The towers of Westminster Abbey are lit up by the blaze

© Historic England

Engraving, Government, Medieval, Palace, River, Ship, Tudor