The British Balloon
Museum & Library JOIN NOW MAKE A DONATION Help save the past for the future

Welcome to the British Balloon Museum and Library

The British Balloon Museum and Library (BBM&L) is the official museum of the British Balloon and Airship Club. A small group of balloonists formed the BBM&L in 1979; we are a registered charity with the objective of preserving the many different items associated with, and used in, hot air and gas ballooning, and other forms of lighter-than-air flight. We have no physical museum to house our collection but, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, you can now explore many items in our collection for the first time online. The process of adding collection items to the website will be a gradual one, as more items are catalogued and photographed.

Explore the Collection

The BBM&L holds a large collection of artefacts from the sport of ballooning, both hot air and gas, plus a good number of items from the world of airships. Click on the links below to navigate to the category you want, where you can view images of these items along with their descriptions.

Hardware Balloons, baskets, burners etc. Non-fiction, fiction, non-english. Books Oral history Audio interviews with key people. Advertising Posters and handbills. Clothing T-shirts, sweatshirts, flying suits etc. Photographs Single photos, bundles and albums. Post/Postal items Flown mail, stamps, envelopes. Art Paintings, prints. Moving films Documentaries, fiction, events. Memorablia China, glass, wood, metal etc. Trophies & plaques Awards, trophies and plaques. Records Logbooks, certificates, stationery etc. Publications Articles, magazines, newspapers etc. 3D models Models of balloons etc. Balloon G-AVTL taking off Book jacket for My Polar Flights Don Cameron in the Cameron Balloons factory Poster for French balloon meet 2001 Yellow flying suit Image from c.1908 of people in balloon basket Signed envelope of balloon launched from HMS Ark Royal Coloured engraving of 18th century balloon VHS video cover for Breitling Orbiter 3 video SAGA 1997 Official participant dish Trophy with two handles Montage of logbook items and image of Renee Thornton Daily Telegraph magazine cover featuring balloons 3D model of balloon

Search the Collection

Use the search box below to find a particular item, person or event.

Featured Object from the Collection

Cardington Balloon inflations

Video of the day on 15 February 1997 when the BBM&L marked the 80th anniversary of the completion of Cardington Airship Shed No.1 by holding a unique attempt to inflate the largest number of hot air balloons ever inflated indoors.

Latest News and Events

We will post news items of interest here concerning people, balloons and airships. There will also be details of events as they become available.

View a selection of articles from our member magazine
As a thank you, we are offering you the chance to peak inside our quarterly membership magazine, Trailrope, to get a taste of the fascinating history of ballooning.

Midlands Air Festival 2026

We had a great time at Midlands Air Festival. The weather was very breezy on Sunday but conditions were perfect...

Midlands Air Festival 2026

  We are excited to be attending the Midlands Air Festival again this year and hope to also take G-MUSM...

Will you help preserve the history of ballooning?

Become a friend of the BBM&L now.

UK Friends of the British Balloon Museum & Library pay an annual subscription of £15, and it is £18 for Friends overseas. You will receive regular issues of our journal, Trailrope, and one of the much-prized BBM&L lapel badges. There are Inflation Days when historic balloons are given an airing and a great Annual Luncheon. Most important is the knowledge that you are helping to save what could so easily be lost.

This Day in History

23 July 1932
Alberto Santos-Dumont died. He was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aircraft.
23 July 2016

Fedor Konyukhov became the fourth person to successfully circumnavigate the world in a balloon and the second to do it solo.  He completed his 33,000-kilometer (20,506-mile) journey in just over 11 days launching and landing in western Australia.

The Morton balloon, manufactured by the U.K.-based Cameron Balloons Ltd., is likely the most advanced Rozière ever constructed. In total the balloon is 197 feet (60 meters) tall, and boasts a volume of 15,500 cubic meters. Its starting weight was 10 tons, though the Morton was down to four tons by the time it landed.

Konyukhov lived in a carbon-fiber gondola, roughly six feet (two meters) wide and six feet (two meters) tall, which could double as an autonomous life boat in the event of a water landing. During the trip, he often had to crawl outside the capsule to manage hardware, especially during malfunctions. Inside the capsule were supplies, including first-aid supplies, high-calorie food rations, water (two liters per day), and oxygen. There was also a bunk bed and navigation and communication equipment that allowed him to communicate with a team of scientists and engineers who ultimately helped Konyukhov chart his successful course.

Educational resources for everyone

How does a balloon work?
How do you land?

Hot air balloons are colourful and inspiring, great to fire the imagination and create an enthusiasm for learning. Visit our Education section to learn more about them and to access teacher resources.

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping
    Scroll to Top