This is a black-and-white lithograph of a hot air balloon probably flying over France in the late 1700's. The lithograph is signed and numbered in the margin on the lower right and stamped "Ed Sagot, Editeur Paris" in the lower right too, so it was published by the noted French art dealer Edmond Sagot probably in the late 1880's or early 1900's. The lithograph is signed indistinctly in the lower right margin and numbered 7 of 35 copies, and a penciled note on the backside of the lithograph reads "Le Ballon qui tombe", or "the ball that falls". We believe it was signed "S Levine" or "S Seville", but we are not sure. Edmond Sagot (1857 - 1917) was born in Montlignon and was a bookseller, art dealer, and publisher of original prints and posters. In 1881 he founded the house "Ed. Sagot" in Paris, his daughter married Maurice Le Garrec and the firm became Sagot-Le Garrec, this establishment still exists under the name "Sagot - Le Garrec" and it is one of the oldest art galleries still in operating in Paris. Sagot was the first contemporary art dealer to specialize in prints and posters, and he was followed by several notable print dealers in the early 1890's, notably Ambroise Vollard, who provided exposure and emotional support to numerous unknown artists, including Paul Cezanne, Renoir, Pablo Picasso, George Rouault, and Vincent van Gogh, and Vollard became a leading publisher of children's books with beautiful colored illustrations. For what it's worth, the first free flight of a hot air balloon carrying a human passenger occurred over Paris in 1783, and the following year a hot air balloon which resembles the one in the lithograph was flown by Guyton de Moreau over the French city of Dijon, and we wonder if this lithograph commemorates that event. The lithograph is matted and the matt measures 11 x 12 3/4 in. wide, the image itself measures 4 7/8 x 6 3/4 in. wide, and both are clean and in very good condition. There is a small pencil mark in the left margin of the litho and that's about it, and an attractive piece for a balloonist or someone who collects works by Edmond Sagot. #5104