Charvolents Travelling in Various Directions With the Same Wind by S. Colman, 1827

English hand colored engraving of four charvolents (carriages being pulled by kites) travelling through the countryside above a small town.

The charvolent was an invention of an English schoolteacher named George Pocock who patented his design in 1826, and was notable for the carriage being pulled by two kites on a single line that was 1,500 to 1,800 feet long. Steering was achieved by four control lines attached to the kite, and a T-shaped bar that controlled the direction of the front wheels. Braking was provided by an iron bar that could be pushed down into the road. Pocock published a book titled “A Treatise on The Aeropleustic Art or Navigation in the Air by the use of Kites, or Buoyant Sails” as a way to spread the word of this new mode of transport, though widespread interest in his invention never took hold.

Drawn by S. Colman and engraved by P. Roberts. Published by Sherwood & Co., London. The print is in fine original condition with good color and has been newly archival mounted and reframed.

London, England, 1827.