“Sarah Bernhardt’s fancy had been caught by a balloon on exhibit at the fair of 1878, and she persuaded Giffard, the balloonist, to let her go aloft:
“ There was the sky above and the earth beneath… It was splendid ! It was stupefying! Not a sound, not a breath!…
“At twenty minutes to seven we were about 2,500 yards above the earth, and cold and hunger commenced to make themselves felt.
“The dinner was copious—we had ‘foie gras’-- fresh bread and oranges. The cork of our champagne bottle flew up into the clouds with a soft, pretty noise. We raised our glasses in honor of M. Giffard.”---Translation and excerpt The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 22, no. 6 (February, 1964).
Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) actress and theater director, the first modern and international star. 'Dans les nuages. Impressions d'une chaise' (In the clouds: impressions of a chair), her first publication, is a semi-autobiographical satirical story about her ascent in a balloon.
Georges Clairin (1843-1919) French painter and illustrator best known for his portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he had a long friendship and whom he depicted in costume for a number of her roles.
The book is dedicated to Henri Giffard (1825-1882) inventor of the world's first passenger-carrying airship.