Early Aeronautics

Collage of early flying machines from the German encyclopedia Meyers Konversations Lexikon, titled Vintage Flying Machines and originally published in 1908.

Pictured above and below are two collages of early flying machines, originally published in the German encyclopedia Meyers Konversations Lexikon. I love collages like these because they inevitably must pick and choose which examples to show. This is most likely done for a combination of reasons, including available illustrations, the most famous examples, and page layout. It’s also broken down by theme. The above illustration only shows heavier-than-air machines, while the below illustration includes both heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air machines.

Collage of early flying machines from the German encyclopedia Meyers Konversations Lexikon, titled Early Flying Machines and originally published in 1897.

These collages are also fascinating because they illustrate the variety of ideas tested throughout the history of human flight. It’s a testament to the power of flight that so many examples and ideas have been tested throughout history, all in the pursuit of making a human fly.

Read more about other ideas for flying machines here.