First Light of Flight - Set of 4

This four-photo series reflects Jonathan Charles’ fascination with the dawn of modern aviation and the experimental spirit of early photography. Inspired by wet plate and tintype processes, the stereoscopic-style black-and-white images recall a time when photography itself was an act of invention. Referencing pioneers of aerial vision-from Nadar’s balloon ascent over Paris to early zeppelins and the Wright brothers-the works capture the wonder and ambition of an era when the sky was first explored and imagined. Intimate in scale yet presented within oversized frames hand finished in distressed antique gold, the photographs are elevated into dramatic decorative statements, honoring innovation, craftsmanship and the poetry of early flight.