A unique collection of ballooning artefacts and writings, from newspaper articles to event posters, collected by renowned meteorologist and astronomer James Glaisher, is now on permanent loan at the University Library and gives a fascinating glimpse into the real events that have inspired a Hollywood film, as well as the ground-breaking meteorologist at the centre of the story.

The Aeronauts, which was released in October 2019, has received top reviews and is based on a number of pioneering balloon flights that took place in the 1800s, including Glaisher, and his pilot Henry Coxwell’s, record-breaking flight from Wolverhampton on 5 September 1862. While Coxwell is omitted from the film, Glaisher is played by Oscar winning actor, Eddie Redmayne who is joined on his ascent by fictional female pilot Amelia Wren, played by Felicity Jones, who is a combination of a number of pioneering female pilots of the time.

While the film’s plot does differ from historical facts, most notably changing the setting to London rather than Wolverhampton, it does bring to light the dramatic and remarkable achievements of Glaisher.