The earliest surviving aerial photo is a pic of Boston taken from a hot air balloon!

With today's satellite imagery, planes, helicopters and camera technology, aerial photographs are common. A photo of New York City, half blacked out, graced the cover of New York Magazine after Super Storm Sandy struck. Back in the day though, aerial photography was uncommon and risky.

The first aerial photographer was Frenchman Gaspard-Felix Tournachon in 1858. He photographed Paris from his balloon. However, his photos have been destroyed. The oldest surviving aerial photo is of Boston.

James Wallace Black and Samuel Archer King took the photo on October 13, 1860 from a hot air balloon. It was taken at a height of 630 meters, and as such has the succinct name: "Boston, as the Eagle and Wild Goose See It."

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