Old Is Gold

Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It

- Saman Waheed

The photograph in consideration is the world’s oldest existing aerial photograph. So, before delving into the specifics of the picture, let us first understand what aerial photography is all about.

Aerial photography is also known as airborne imagery and is essentially the photograph of a particular entity taken from the sky on an aerial object. It has been in practice since the 19th century and various flying objects have been put to use for this purpose.

This photograph is the oldest existing aerial photograph for sure, but it is certainly not the first. If the reports by the Professional Aerial Photographers Association are to be believed, the title of ‘Father of Aerial Photography’ goes to the French balloonist and photographer, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, popularly known by his pseudonym Nadar. He had captured Paris from a hot air balloon in 1858. However, his work does not survive for us to see, thereby imparting the title to this photograph of Boston.