José María Florez
1820?-1848
AKA José María Flores
  
 
I need a portrait of him. If you can help, please contact me.
  
   

 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
via email from Alberto Silva, 8-6-08
Ralph;

Hello!

I´m writing from Colombia, Southamerica. Would like to ask you if you have any information on Argentine born aeronaut (balloonist), Jose Maria Flores (1820? - 1848). An almost obscure pioneer which is regarded as the first balloonist in many Southamerican countries, like Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, as well as a pioneer aeronaut in Guatemala and Mexico.

Do you have any relevant information on this fantastic and forgotten pioneer? I believe he is not getting the historical importance and fame he deserves. ám building a section on the web page I administer www.museodetransporte.org much of it is written in Spanish.

For the recount on Jose Maria Flores I have found some tips here and there. So to decently build a biographic account. But I need more details and a larger account of its prolific balloon ascents over much of Southamerica. I believe he is clearly by a great margin, the earliest aeronaut, the first aerial pioneer of many Southamerican countries and the first man that took to skies in most of them. As an ironic play of destiny, he never flew over his native Argentina.

Tell me if you know something, I will appreciate any info on the matter.

Regards from Colombia.

Alberto Silva
Aviation Division
Colombian National Museum of Transportation		  

 
 
ONLINE RESOURCES
Using the Google search engine on "José Maria Flores" +balloon, (8-07-08), you will find about 3 links, one of which is relevant. 		 

 
 
José María Flores
     You can access this very comprehensive artice by Alberto Silva Borrero in the original Spanish by clicking on the title above.

     If you only read English, you can access a somewhat cryptic, machine-translated version by clicking on:
English Version
  

 
 
Globo aerostático
Artículo de la Enciclopedia Libre Universal en Español.
     This article, in Spanish, offers one very brief mention of him. If you read Spanish, you can access the article by clicking on the title above. You can find the entry by using the "FIND" function on "Flores". The single relevant sentence is as follows:

     El primer vuelo en globo en Perú se realizó en la Plaza de Acho de Lima el 24 de setiembre de 1840 a cargo de José María Flores.

     The first balloon flight in Peru took place in the Plaza de Acho, Lima, on 24 September 1840, headed by Jose Maria Flores		  

 
 
RECOMMENDED READING
  
 
José María Florez
 José María Florez
y los antecedentes de la aviación argentina hasta 1850
 
By Eloy Martín
 
Product Details
Publication Date: Jun 17 2009
Page Count: 138
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 8" x 10"
Language: Spanish; Castilian
Color: Full Color
List Price: $35.00
ISBN/EAN13: 144862200X / 9781448622009

TO ORDER THE BOOK		  
  About the author:
Eloy Martín nació en la ciudad de Buenos Aires el 12 de junio de 1956. Realizó su formación como Aviador en el año 1980. Es Piloto Comercial de Primera Clase de avión, Instructor de vuelo, Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación, Magíster en Defensa Nacional, Historiador aeronáutico, docente universitario y autor de investigaciones históricas vinculadas con este área del conocimiento.

Machine Translated Version
Eloy Martin was born in Buenos Aires on 12 June 1956. He completed his training as an aviator in the year 1980. Commercial Pilot's First Class Airline, Flight Instructor, Bachelor of Science in Education Master of Defense, aviation historian, professor and author of research linked to this historic area of knowledge. 		 

 
 
 
 
This pioneer balloonist died accidentally during an ascension on January 30, 1848
  

 
 
Editor's Note:
If you have any information on this pioneer aeronaut
please contact me.
E-mail to Ralph Cooper
  

 
 
BackBack Home