how were aerial photos possible as early as 1860’s in areas where they had no hills or mountains overlooking the city?

Question

how were aerial photos possible as early as 1860’s in areas where they had no hills or mountains overlooking the city?

In: Technology

Answer 1

The [French Aerostatic Corps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Aerostatic_Corps) was founded in 1794 to use balloons, primarily for reconnaissance. In 1804 Napoleon appointed [Sophie Blanchard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Blanchard) as Chief Air Minister of Ballooning with a view to using balloons to invade Britain, though Sophie was able to convince him that it was impractical due to unfavourable winds.