Lot Essay
The first public parachute jump took place on 22 October 1797 at Monceau Park in Paris by Andre Jacques Garnerin (1769-1823), who leapt from a balloon at 3,000 feet. Despite violent oscillations during the descent, he survived and later improved his design by adding a hole in the centre to allow the air to escape. This design would appear to be similar to Garnerin's model and is an interesting example of early parachute design.