# Cecil Shadbolt

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British photographer (1859–1892)

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** (1859 – 8 July 1892) was a British photographer, who pioneered [aerial photography](/source/Aerial_photography) from [flying balloons](/source/Balloon_(aeronautics)).

## Life

Shadbolt was born in 1859, the son of the [mahogany](/source/Mahogany) dealer and photographer [George Shadbolt](/source/George_Shadbolt).[1][2]

He showed photographs of Welsh landscapes at the 1877 [Photographic Society](/source/Royal_Photographic_Society) exhibition.[2]

Aerial view showing Stonebridge Road, Stamford Hill, and Seven Sisters Curve, part of the [Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway](/source/Tottenham_and_Hampstead_Junction_Railway), taken from 2000ft. Taken on 29 May 1882, this is the earliest extant aerial photograph taken in the British Isles.

His first balloon ascent was in May 1882, at [Alexandra Palace](/source/Alexandra_Palace).[1] He made his own device for attaching a camera to the basket below a balloon, allowing him to take pictures looking directly downwards.[1] One of his images, taken from 2,000 feet (610 m) over [Stamford Hill](/source/Stamford_Hill), is the earliest extant aerial photograph taken in the British Isles.[1] A print of the same image, *An Instantaneous Map Photograph taken from the Car of a Balloon, 2,000 feet high*, was shown at the 1882 Photographic Society exhibition.[2]

Shadbolt gave public lectures, using [magic lantern](/source/Magic_lantern) slides, with the title *Balloons and Ballooning, Upward and Onwards*.[3]

He was secretary of the West Kent Sunday School Union from 1886.[2]

## Death

On 29 June 1892, he took a flight in a [gas balloon](/source/Gas_balloon) owned by (or which he co-owned with; sources vary) his friend 'Captain' William D. Dale, at [Crystal Palace](/source/The_Crystal_Palace).[1] The balloon ripped during the initial ascent, at around 600 feet (180 m),[2] and though those aboard dropped ballast, the basket crashed to the ground, immediately killing Dale.[1] Shadbolt and the other passengers were taken to Norwood Cottage Hospital,[2] but Shadbolt died on 8 July,[3] aged 33.[1] He was buried, alongside members of his family, in grave 1,932, square 113, at [West Norwood Cemetery](/source/West_Norwood_Cemetery).[2] His father was later buried in the adjacent plot.[2]

An inquest at the hospital, on 12 July 1892, under [coroner](/source/Coroner), Mr Jackson, returned verdicts of accidental death.[2]

## Shadbolt Collection

**The Shadbolt Collection** of 76 glass lantern slides taken between 1882 and 1892 is held by [Historic England](/source/Historic_England),[1] The slides were found at a [car boot sale](/source/Car_boot_sale) and subsequently purchased at auction by Historic England in 2015.[1][4]

## Publications

- Harper, Henry Andrew (1888). *Walks in Palestine*. [Religious Tract Society](/source/Religious_Tract_Society). – includes 24 [photogravures](/source/Photogravure) by Shadbolt[2][5] - An 1894 edition was subtitled "With a Portrait and Brief Memoir of the Late Cecil V. Shadbolt".

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HE_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HE_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-HE_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-HE_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-HE_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-HE_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-HE_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-HE_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-HE_1-8) ["The Shadbolt Collection"](https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/archive/new/shadbolt-collection/). Retrieved 27 April 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-Fenn_2-9) Colin, Fenn (2016). ["George & Cecil Shadbolt – Pioneer Photographers"](https://www.fownc.org/pdf/newsletter86.pdf) (PDF). *Friends of West Norwood. Newsletter* (86): 6–8.[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HE-023_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HE-023_3-1) ["Cecil Shadbolt (left) and 'Captain' William Dale (right)..."](https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/CVS01/01/023) Historic England. Retrieved 27 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBC-34428872_4-0)** ["'Earliest' aerial photos auctioned"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34428872). *BBC News*. [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). 8 October 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RCT_5-0)** ["Henry Andrew Harper (1835–1900) – Walks in Palestine"](https://www.rct.uk/collection/1006060/walks-in-palestine). [Royal Collection Trust](/source/Royal_Collection_Trust). Retrieved 27 April 2020.

### Further reading

- report, *[Illustrated London News](/source/Illustrated_London_News)*, 9 July 1892

- report, *Blackheath Gazette*, 15 July 1892

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents before 1910 Jun 15, 1785 De Rozier's balloon incident Apr 15, 1875 Zénith balloon incident Jul 16, 1889 Peter Campbell Airship disappearance Jul 12, 1897 Deutschland airship fire Jul 13, 1897 Arctic Balloon Expedition Feb 14, 1902 Santos-Dumont nº6 crash (Monaco) May 12, 1902 Pax airship disaster Oct 7, 1903 Langley Aerodrome Dec 8, 1903 Langley Aerodrome Jan 18, 1906 LZ 2 Nov 30, 1907 Patrie airship disappearance Aug 8, 1908 LZ 4 Sep 25, 1909 Lebaudy République airship For single-person aviation accidents see: Aviators killed in early aviation accidents ► the 1910s

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom before 1920 1820s Thomas Harris (May 1824) 1890s Cecil Shadbolt (July 1892) Percy Pilcher (October 1899) 1910s 1910 Charles Rolls (July 1910) Cecil Grace (December 1910) 1912 Martin-Handasyde No. 3 crash (February 1912) Brooklands Flanders Monoplane crash (May 1912) Bristol Coanda Monoplane crash (September 1912) 1913 Cody Floatplane (August 1913) 1918 Maxstoke air crash (August 1918) 1919 Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown (June 1919) Airship N.S.11 crash (July 1919) 1820–1919 ► 1920–1929

Authority control databases International VIAF Artists ULAN Musée d'Orsay Photographers' Identities

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cecil Shadbolt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Shadbolt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Shadbolt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.