Cecil Shadbolt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cecil Shadbolt
Cecil Shadbolt (left) and 'Captain' William Dale (right) posed in the basket of a gas balloon. Shadbolt's camera can be seen, attached to the side of the basket.
Born	1859
Died	8 July 1892 (aged 33)
Occupation	Photographer
Parent(s)	George Shadbolt

Cecil Victor Shadbolt (born 1859, died 1892) was a British photographer. He was a pioneer in taking pictures from the sky, using flying balloons to capture amazing aerial photos.

Early Life and Photography

Cecil Shadbolt was born in 1859. His father, George Shadbolt, was also a photographer and a dealer in mahogany wood.

Cecil started showing his own photographs when he was young. In 1877, he displayed pictures of Welsh landscapes at an exhibition for the Photographic Society.

Taking Photos from Balloons

Cecil Shadbolt made his first trip in a balloon in May 1882. This happened at Alexandra Palace in London. He was very clever and designed his own special way to attach a camera to the balloon's basket. This allowed him to take photos looking straight down from high up in the air.

One of his most famous pictures was taken from about 2,000 feet (610 meters) above Stamford Hill. This photo is very important because it's the oldest known aerial photograph taken in the British Isles. He showed this amazing picture at the 1882 Photographic Society exhibition.

Aerial view showing Stonebridge Road, Stamford Hill, and Seven Sisters Curve. This was taken from 2,000 feet (610 meters) high on May 29, 1882. It is the earliest known aerial photograph from the British Isles.

Cecil also gave public talks about his adventures. He used magic lantern slides to show his aerial photos. His talks were called Balloons and Ballooning, Upward and Onwards.

His Final Flight

On June 29, 1892, Cecil Shadbolt went on another balloon flight. He was with his friend, 'Captain' William D. Dale. The balloon was a gas balloon and they took off from Crystal Palace.

Sadly, the balloon ripped when it was about 600 feet (183 meters) in the air. Even though the people on board tried to drop heavy items to slow down, the basket crashed to the ground. Captain Dale died right away. Cecil Shadbolt and the other passengers were taken to the hospital. Cecil passed away on July 8, 1892, at the age of 33. He was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.

The Shadbolt Collection

Today, many of Cecil Shadbolt's amazing photographs are kept safe. There is a collection of 76 glass slides, taken between 1882 and 1892. This collection is called The Shadbolt Collection.

These slides were found at a car boot sale (like a yard sale) and later bought by Historic England in 2015. They help us remember Cecil Shadbolt's important work in early aerial photography.