STILLING Henry ( Harry)

Henry (Harry) STILLING

For a short time in the early 1900s Henry Stilling, better known locally as ‘Harry’, practised photography with one of the Grewar Bros. (q.v.). In October 1908 he won a prize for his collection of photographs exhibited at the Saddleworth Show, and he was listed as photographer, Saddleworth, in directories from 1910 to 1915. He produced numerous local scenes on 'real photograph' postcards, and was assisted in his darkroom by his sister, Alice. Harry Stilling died in 1948.

Among the photographs Harry Stilling made for sale was a set of three postcards (below) showing a balloon ascent which took place at Riverton on 27 January 1909. While no written record of that ascent has been found, I have described a similar ascent made by the same people in my book Clare - A District History (1974).

"On 1 January 1910 a large crowd at the Clare Showground (Inchiquin Hill) was thrilled by a spectacular balloon ascent. Advertisements promised excitement. ‘These aeronauts are the highest flyers on earth. Life hangs by a thread. If a rope goes wrong death is certain!’ The ascent was one of a series made in Adelaide and selected country towns to promote Viceroy tea. Admission for adults was one shilling or an empty Viceroy tea packet.

"A trench was dug in the ground, covered with iron plates and topped with earth, to form a long tunnel. Splinters of wood saturated with gasoline were placed at one end of the tunnel then ignited, producing a powerful draught of hot air to inflate the huge calico envelope suspended above the other end. Slowly hot air and smoke belching from the hole began to fill the balloon and a man was stationed inside to extinguish any sparks. While the crowd waited they were entertained by Ranjie the snake charmer and a small alligator."

Below: The balloon is suspended above the end of the hot-air tunnel by ropes strung from tall poles. Harry Stilling has also captured the figure of another photographer, the legs of his tripod and camera case showing in the centre of the photograph.

"The fully inflated balloon was an impressive sight, 75 feet high and 150 feet in circumference. Enthusiastic young men held the canvas and restraining ropes while the Austrian aeronaut Zahn Rinaldo took his place on the trapeze under the balloon. A pistol shot gave the signal to ‘let go’ and the huge bag filled with hot air soared into the sky to the ringing cheers of the excited crowd. When an altitude of 700 feet was reached Rinaldo dropped feet first from the balloon, travelling some distance at breathtaking speed before his parachute opened. He landed safely near the large cutting on the Blyth road west of Armagh and the balloon, relieved of its load, turned updside down and slowly sank to the ground, hot air and smoke belching from its open throat."