Krista Lewis, Archivist at the Olmsted County Historical Society, chose this photograph showing the preparations for a scientific balloon ascent experiment in Rochester from their collection in MDL:

Piccard balloon ascension preparations, Rochester, July 17, 1937

During the summer of 1937, Rochester became a center of scientific exploration and experimentation when Dr. Jean Piccard, a Swiss-born balloonist, scientist, and engineer, tested his first-of-its-kind balloon craft here. In January 1937, wishing to surpass heights reached by the single lighter-than-air balloons he had previously used to study cosmic rays and the atmosphere, Piccard suggested using multi-balloon crafts. The University of Minnesota, which employed Piccard and his wife, Jeanette, lacked the funds to build and test such a craft.

Yet all was not lost. Following a speaking engagement in Rochester in March, the Piccards met with the Kiwanis club, which readily offered its sponsorship. The Piccards continued their work while the club selected a launch site and sold flight membership tickets to raise funds. Excitement for the project spread among residents, 200 of whom were chosen as flight ground crew members tasked with inflating and attaching sounding balloons to Piccard’s gondola, the Pleiades, which would carry him to an altitude of 11,000 feet.

After weeks of preparation, thousands of spectators and a slew of media arrived at Soldier’s Field on July 17 to witness history in the making. The climax occurred at 12:07am when Piccard released the ropes tethering him to Earth. A successful landing several hours later in Lansing, Iowa, proved multi-balloon crafts were feasible for scientific investigations.

This photograph captures a significant moment of scientific experimentation and advancement in the early twentieth century. Browse more documents and photos from the event.

It documents a truly unique event, one that most people would not expect to have happened in Rochester. And the man behind it, Jean Felix Piccard, was the inspiration for Star Trek's Jean-Luc Picard!

The Olmsted County Historical Society in Rochester, Minnesota, educates and informs the public about local history by providing programs, exhibits and special events at their museum, archives and five historic sites. Their collection includes artifacts, records and photographs from county towns and cities, businesses, organizations and individuals and the collections from several local photography studios. Included in the Olmsted County project for the Minnesota Digital Library are photographs from the aftermath of a tornado that destroyed much of the city of Rochester in 1883 and of the development of St. Mary's Hospital and the Mayo Medical Complex as well as family images of the W.W. Mayo family.

Browse the History Center of Olmsted County collection in MDL.

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