Claude Ruggieri | |
|---|---|
| Born | Claude-Eugène-Fortuné Ruggieri 1777 |
| Died | 30 August 1841 (aged 63–64) |
| Known for | Fireworks, Rockets |
| Spouse | Catherine Antoinette Lagrange |
Claude Ruggieri (1777 – 30 August 1841) was a pyrotechnician in Paris, France, who developed and wrote about innovations in fireworks design. He and others in his family were renowned and patronized by royalty for their creation of great fireworks extravaganzas.[1]: 79–83 [2] They also opened a public pleasure garden where fireworks displays could be enjoyed by the people of Paris.[3]: 220–226 [1]: 86 The Ruggieris introduced a style of fireworks that was theatrical rather than being based on military gunnery.[1]: 79–83
Following a disastrous fireworks accident on 30 May 1770, the Ruggieris fell from favor.[4] Claude-Fortuné Ruggieri was primarily responsible for restoring the family to its position of prominence. He used the new science of chemistry to develop novel fireworks, in particular colored fireworks that distinguished the Ruggieris from their rivals.[1]: 77–88 He discovered a way to reliably create a vivid "green fire" observed in Russian fireworks.[3]: 220–231 In his writings, Claude Ruggieri discussed "aerial philosophy",[1]: 85 the composition and reactions of gases or "airs".[5] He emphasized the importance of chemistry as a form of theoretical knowledge and connected it to the artisanal practices of pyrotechnics.[1]: 85
Claude Ruggieri was a friend of André-Jacques Garnerin,[1]: 85 the Official Aeronaut of France, and experimented with both balloons and rockets.[2]: 89–91 [6] Ruggieri is credited with being the first person to use rockets to transport living passengers aloft. His passengers were mostly mice and rats, but also sheep. He used parachutes to return them safely to the earth.[7]
- ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference
Smithwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Lynn, M. R. (April 1, 2006). "Sparks for Sale: The Culture and Commerce of Fireworks in Early Modern France". Eighteenth-Century Life. 30 (2): 74–97. doi:10.1215/00982601-2005-004. S2CID 143693446.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Werrettwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Guy-Ryanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ McEvoy, John G. (July 18, 2013). "Joseph Priestley, "Aerial Philosopher": Metaphysics and Methodology in Priestley's Chemical Thought, from 1772 to 1781. Part III". Ambix. 25 (3): 153–175. doi:10.1179/amb.1978.25.3.153. PMID 11615706.
- ^ Lynn, Michael R. (2015). The sublime invention : ballooning in Europe, 1783–1820. Routledge. pp. 90–91, 136, 139. ISBN 978-1-317-32416-4.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Caswellwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).