Focus on history - The Montgolfier brothers chair 16 January 2019

On the 21st November 1783, Pilates de Roziers and the Marquis of Arlande voyaged from the "Chateau de la Muette" on the West side of Paris to the "Butte aux Cailles" on the South side. The 9km trip, performed in a Montgolfier brothers hot air balloon, marked the realisation of one of mankinds oldest dreams, to fly like a bird.
The importance of the event for the population of France was tremendous seeing the two pilots and the Montgolfier brothers become national heros overnight. A phase of Montgolfier mania was to fo follow inspiring the production of all kinds of memorabilia celebrating the achievement.
On the wave of this success, Pilates de Rozier repeated the exploit, taking off from the palace of Versaille in a magnificent azure blue montgolfier decorated with the royal lilly of the valley and the cote of arms of the King and Queen. The Montgolfier was baptized the Marie Antoinette and the queen to show her gratitude to the Montgolfier brothers was to present them the Montgolfier dining chair bearing her insignia and created by the royal chair maker Jean-Baptise Demay.