Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished letter and drawings, on Henry Smeathman's designs for a flying vessel by [George] Cumberland

Reference number: AP/5/12

Date: 04 March 1784

Description

Covering letter from Cumberland to Joseph Banks introduces the five accompanying pencil drawings, showing dirigible balloons based off of a design by Henry Smeathman, who had witnessed the Montgolfier balloon demonstrations in 1783.

Subject: Engineering

Written at Church Court, Clements Lane, Lombard Street [London].

Reference number
AP/5/12
Earliest possible date
04 March 1784
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
8 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

George Cumberland

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

George Cumberland, Unpublished letter and drawings, on Henry Smeathman's designs for a flying vessel by [George] Cumberland, 04 March 1784, AP/5/12, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_5_12/unpublished-letter-and-drawings-on-henry-smeathmans-designs-for-a-flying-vessel-by-george-cumberland, accessed on 17 September 2026

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_5_12/unpublished-letter-and-drawings-on-henry-smeathmans-designs-for-a-flying-vessel-by-george-cumberland

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ap_5_12/unpublished-letter-and-drawings-on-henry-smeathmans-designs-for-a-flying-vessel-by-george-cumberland" title="Unpublished letter and drawings, on Henry Smeathman's designs for a flying vessel by [George] Cumberland" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

    View collection