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Joseph Crocé-Spinelli (; 10 July 1845 – 15 April 1875) was a French
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
,
aeronaut Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...
and
inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
, one of the pioneers of
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
. Along with
Gaston Tissandier Gaston Tissandier (November 21, 1843 – August 30, 1899) was a French chemist, meteorologist, aviator, and editor. He founded and edited the scientific magazine ''La Nature'' and wrote several books. His brother was illustrator Albert Tissan ...
and
Théodore Sivel Théodore Sivel (10 November 1833 – 15 April 1875) was a French navy officer and aeronaut. He designed and died on the gas balloon Zénith (balloon), ''Zénith''. Biography Théodore Henri Sivel was the son of Alexandre Sivel and Caroline B ...
, he achieved a record altitude of in the
gas balloon A gas balloon is a balloon that rises and floats in the air because it is filled with a gas lighter than air (such as helium or hydrogen). When not in flight, it is tethered to prevent it from flying away and is sealed at the bottom to prevent t ...
'' Zénith''.


Biography

Joseph Crocé-Spinelli was born on
July 10 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 420 – Having usurped the throne ...
,
1845 Events January–March * January 1 – The Philippines began reckoning Asian dates by hopping the International Date Line through skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. That time zone shift was a reform made by Governor–General Narciso ...
, in the town of
Monbazillac Monbazillac (; ) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also * Monbazillac AOC *Communes of the Dordogne department The following is a list of the 503 communes of the Dor ...
, in the French department of
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
, at the family estate of jeweler Isidore-Achille Crocé-Spinelli and Marie Louise Lacour. He had a brother, Raphael Crocé-Spinelli, and one of his cousins was the French composer Bernard Crocé-Spinelli. He studied at the
lycée Bonaparte Lycée Bonaparte is a French international school in Doha, Qatar. It includes levels ''maternelle'' (preschool) through ''lycée'' (senior high school). It is named after French Emperor Napoleon. The École Française de Doha was established in ...
in Paris and earned a bachelor's degree in literature and natural sciences. In 1864, he entered the Central School of Arts and Manufactures (), where he studied until 1867. From 1870 to 1871, Crocé-Spinelli actively participated in the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
and served in the 221st Battalion of the French army. After the war, he engaged in scientific activities, writing and publishing several scientific articles in the field of mechanics in the French newspaper ''République Française''. Subsequently, he became interested in
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
and joined the newly established French Society of Aerial Navigation (). He actively participated in the publication of the scientific journal ''L'Aéronaute''. Between 1873 and 1875, he conducted four high-altitude flights in the balloons ''Polar Star'' () and ''
Zenith The zenith (, ) is the imaginary point on the celestial sphere directly "above" a particular location. "Above" means in the vertical direction (Vertical and horizontal, plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The z ...
'' ().


Scientific balloon flights


First flight

In the spring of 1873, the ''French Society of Aerial Navigation'' organized its first scientific expedition in the balloon ''Polar Star'' (). Five scientists expressed their desire to participate in this expedition, including Joseph Crocé-Spinelli. His companions were
Alphonse Penaud Alphonse may refer to: * Alphonse (given name) * Alphonse (surname) * Alphonse Atoll, one of two atolls in the Seychelles' Alphonse Group *Alphonso (mango), a mango-cultivar from India See also *Alphons *Alfonso (disambiguation) Alfonso (and vari ...
,
Théodore Sivel Théodore Sivel (10 November 1833 – 15 April 1875) was a French navy officer and aeronaut. He designed and died on the gas balloon Zénith (balloon), ''Zénith''. Biography Théodore Henri Sivel was the son of Alexandre Sivel and Caroline B ...
, Claude Jobert, and Dr. Félix Petard. The flight took place on
April 26 Events Pre-1600 * 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. * 1478 – The Pazzi family attack on Lorenzo de' Medici in order to displace the ruling Medici family kills his brother Giuliano during High Mass in Fl ...
,
1873 Events January * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
, and ''Polar Star'' reached an altitude of before successfully landing near Paris. During the flight, the scientists conducted a series of
meteorological Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agriculture ...
and
aeronautical Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred solely to ''ope ...
experiments, for which Alphonse Penaud specially developed the instruments. Among them was a differential
barometer A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a certain environment. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather. Many measurements of air pressure are used within surface weather analysis ...
with a rubber membrane, used for the first time, which could measure the altitude and rate of ascent and descent of the balloon. This device later became popular among aeronauts and was indispensable in many scientific flights. Another result of the ''Polar Star'' expedition was a scientific article by Dr. Félix Petard, published in the journal ''L'Aéronaute''. In this article, Petard described his observations of the physiological and psychological states of the crew members during the flight in detail. He observed changes in mood and behavior in each scientist with altitude and made assumptions about how altitude affected these changes. Regarding Joseph Crocé-Spinelli's behavior and mood during the ''Polar Star'' flight, Dr. Petard wrote:


Second flight

On
March 22 Events Pre-1600 * 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea. * 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century. * 871 – Æthel ...
,
1874 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War: Battle of Caspe &n ...
, Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel made their second flight in the balloon ''Polar Star''. In this flight, for the first time, on the advice of physiologist
Paul Bert Paul Bert (17 October 1833 – 11 November 1886) was a French zoologist, physiologist and politician. He is sometimes given the nickname "Father of Aviation Medicine". Life Bert was born at Auxerre ( Yonne). He studied law, earning a doctorate ...
, the scientists took small soft balloons with oxygen supplies. Before the flight, Crocé and Sivel trained in Paul Bert's special barometric chamber. In the chamber, all the oxygen was pumped out for a certain time, and one could breathe only through a special tube connected to the soft balloon. This experiment allowed checking the aeronauts' behavior at altitudes with extreme
atmospheric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1,013. ...
and lack of oxygen in the air. This unusual way of breathing freely even where there was practically no oxygen allowed the scientists to conduct meteorological research and control the
balloon A balloon is a flexible membrane bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. For special purposes, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), ...
. As a result, the ''Polar Star'' rose to a then-record height of . During their research, Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel measured the
air temperature Atmospheric temperature is a measure of temperature at different levels of the Earth's atmosphere. It is governed by many factors, including incoming solar radiation, humidity, and altitude. The abbreviation MAAT is often used for Mean Annual Air ...
at an altitude of over , which was . They also observed their own physiological reactions to the rarefied atmosphere. Specifically, they noticed a sharp increase in pulse and changes in the color of their face and mucous membranes. The flight on March 22, 1874, received widespread media coverage, making Joseph Crocé-Spinelli and Théodore Sivel famous in France and Europe. This enabled the scientists to quickly find support and funding for their next aerial expedition.


Third flight

Joseph Crocé-Spinelli made his third flight on March 23-24, 1875, when the balloon '' Zénith'' flew from
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to
Arcachon Arcachon (; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for p ...
over 22 hours and 40 minutes. This flight broke all world duration records, surpassing the 18-hour flight by the English aeronaut Charles Green made in 1836. The record of the ''Zenith'' was only broken eleven years later, in September 1886, when the Frenchman Henri Hervé made a 24-hour flight from France to England in the balloon ''Le National''. On March 23, ''Zenith'' was prepared for flight at the ''La Villette'' gas plant, and at 18:20 in the evening, it successfully took off. On board the balloon were five aeronauts: Théodore Sivel, acting as captain, Joseph Crocé-Spinelli, conducting scientific experiments with a spectrograph, Claude Jobert, a mechanic and experienced balloonist, and the two brothers Gaston and Albert Tissandier, who were conducting their own scientific experiments.
Albert Tissandier Albert Tissandier (1839 – 5 September 1906) was a French architect, aviator, illustrator, editing, editor and archaeologist. He was the brother of adventurer Gaston Tissandier with whom he collaborated in writing the magazine ''La Nature'' ...
made drawings of all the landscapes the aeronauts saw during the flight.
Gaston Tissandier Gaston Tissandier (November 21, 1843 – August 30, 1899) was a French chemist, meteorologist, aviator, and editor. He founded and edited the scientific magazine ''La Nature'' and wrote several books. His brother was illustrator Albert Tissan ...
later described the first hours of the flight: All night, the aeronauts flew at an altitude of – above the ground, slowly moving towards the ocean coast in southwestern France. They did not forget to conduct their scientific experiments: Crocé-Spinelli, along with Jobert, experimented with Alphonse Penaud's navigation device, the measurements of which allowed them to determine the altitude and speed of the balloon. A post-flight check of this device's data confirmed the ideal accuracy of the obtained numbers. At dawn, ''Zenith'' reached the town of
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...
on the ocean coast, and around 10 am began its flight over the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
. Gaston Tissandier described this event as follows: After crossing the Gironde, ''Zenith'' flew another 6 hours along the ocean coast, and only around 5 pm did the aeronauts successfully land on a clearing in a pine forest near Arcachon. A few minutes after landing, local shepherds "on stilts and with joyful and amazed shouts" arrived. They helped pack up the equipment and the balloon and transported them to the town.


Fourth flight

Inspired by the success of the record flight from Paris to Arcachon, Crocé-Spinelli, Sivel, and Gaston Tissandier immediately began preparing for a new expedition. The goal of the new flight in the ''Zenith'' was to reach the highest altitude possible in a balloon. In accordance with this goal, the scientists prepared their equipment. Three small balloons with a breathing oxygen mixture containing 70 percent oxygen were attached to the balloon's basket's suspension ring. Two aneroid
barometer A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a certain environment. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather. Many measurements of air pressure are used within surface weather analysis ...
s were placed on ropes running from the basket to the ring. One measured pressure up to , the other from to . Next to them were several
thermometer A thermometer is a device that measures temperature (the hotness or coldness of an object) or temperature gradient (the rates of change of temperature in space). A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb ...
s, one of which, an "alcohol" thermometer, could record low temperatures down to . Above the thermometers, in a closed box filled with sawdust, was a special barometer for recording the maximum height of the balloon's ascent. This device consisted of 8 mercury barometric tubes and was designed by the French astronomer and scientist
Pierre Janssen Pierre Jules César Janssen (22 February 1824 – 23 December 1907), usually known as Jules Janssen, was a French astronomer who, along with English scientist Joseph Norman Lockyer, is credited with discovering the gaseous nature of the solar ...
. Sivel attached a thick mattress stuffed with straw to the basket's bottom to cushion the impact when the balloon landed. On April 15, 1875, at 11:52 am, ''Zenith'' with Crocé-Spinelli, Sivel, and Tissandier on board, took off and began its ascent. Gaston Tissandier later recalled that at an altitude of , Théodore Sivel suddenly exclaimed with joy: At an altitude of , a large volume of
hydrogen Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
suddenly escaped from the "appendix" of the balloon, which was directly above the aeronauts' heads. This had no effect on Sivel and Tissandier, but Crocé-Spinelli made the following entry in his diary: Occupied with their scientific observations, the aeronauts did not pay attention to their own bodies' reactions to the lack of oxygen. However, at an altitude of , the severely rarefied air had already taken its toll, and Tissandier, checking his friends' condition, recorded the following note in his notebook: Around 1 pm, ''Zenith'' reached an altitude of and drifted over cirrus clouds, consisting of fine dispersed ice particles. Suffering from lack of air, Tissandier took a few breaths of the oxygen mixture, feeling the beneficial effects of the oxygen. Shivering from the cold, he wrote with a shaky hand: Later, Tissandier recalled that somewhere at an altitude of , Sivel asked him twice if he should throw off some more ballast, and after receiving the reply "Do what you want" from Tissandier, Sivel cut off several more bags of sand. At this time, Crocé-Spinelli sat at the bottom of the basket, holding the tube from the oxygen cylinder in his hand, looking very depressed. Tissandier describes the subsequent events as follows: After Crocé-Spinelli threw off some ballast, ''Zenith'' slowed its descent and again slowly rose to an altitude of over . At 3:30 pm, Tissandier regained consciousness, feeling dizzy and weak. Opening his eyes, he saw that the balloon was again descending at a terrifying speed. The basket was rocking violently, describing large circles in the air. Tissandier crawled on his knees to his friends and began to wake them, calling, "Sivel! Crocé! Wake up!" But they lay motionless at the bottom of the basket. Gathering the remnants of his strength, Tissandier tried to lift them, but the faces of the aeronauts had already darkened, their eyes were cloudy, and their mouths were bloody. Tissandier recalled the last moments of the ''Zenith'' flight as follows: ''Zenith'' crashed into a field near the town of
Ciron (Indre) Ciron () is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is notable for its twelfth-century lanterne des morts, Eglise Saint-Georges, and the chateau Romefort by the picturesque river Creuse. An abandoned railroad goes through the v ...
, located from Paris. The data from the special altitude barometer was checked at the Sorbonne physics laboratory and showed that the maximum altitude ''Zenith'' reached during its flight was between and . Joseph Crocé-Spinelli and Théodore Sivel died during the flight from
asphyxia Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are m ...
, while Gaston Tissandier miraculously survived but partially lost his hearing.


Funeral

After the crash of ''Zenith'' near the town of Ciron (Indre), Gaston Tissandier, still in shock, realized that his friends had died during the flight. Local residents began to flock to the crash site, increasing in number. To avoid undue curiosity from the crowd, Tissandier decided to move Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel's bodies to the nearest barn and locked them there. After that, Gaston was taken to the house of one of the farmers of Count de Bondi, on whose land the balloon had crashed. Tissandier was so exhausted that he almost immediately fell asleep and slept until dawn. In the morning, he wrote a long letter to the president of the French Society of Aerial Navigation Hervé Mangon and sent it to Paris. In the letter, Gaston described in detail everything he remembered about the tragic flight of ''Zenith''. This letter was later reprinted by all leading newspapers in France and Europe. The tragic news of the crash of ''Zenith'' did not reach Paris quickly. The families of the deceased scientists were informed only 18 hours after the crash, and on April 16, the evening newspapers of Paris reported the sad news on their pages. Practically all the major French newspapers immediately sent their reporters to the crash site, and by the morning of April 17, Gaston Tissandier was meeting them and his brother Albert at the local train station. On April 18, the bodies of Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel were placed in metal coffins, loaded onto a cart, and taken to the local train station for transport to Paris. Gaston Tissandier walked alongside the cart carrying his two friends all the way to the station. On April 19, a meeting of the
French Academy of Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
was held, at which its president Edmond Frémy gave a special speech. He called Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel ''"martyrs of science"'' and added that they were ''"two brave warriors who fell on the battlefield of science".'' The funeral of Sivel and Crocé-Spinelli took place on April 20. Initially, around 500-600 people gathered at the Orléans train station in Paris at 10:30 am, where the bodies of the deceased scientists had arrived. At 11:15 am, Protestant pastor (the deceased were
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
) Auguste-Scipion Dide gave a short speech, which made a strong impression on those present. The procession then made its way along the Boulevard Contrescarpe, the
Place de la Bastille The Place de la Bastille () is a square in Paris where the Bastille prison once stood, until the storming of the Bastille and its subsequent physical destruction between 14 July 1789 and 14 July 1790 during the French Revolution. No vestige of ...
, and the
Rue de la Paix The Rue de la Paix (English: Peace Street; ) is a fashionable shopping street in the centre of Paris. Located in the 2nd arrondissement, running north from the Place Vendôme and ending at the Opéra Garnier, it is best known for its jewellers ...
to the
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...
. All the way to the cemetery, the crowd of people who came to say goodbye to the scientists grew, and at the funeral ceremony, the local police counted about 5000-6000 people. The French newspaper ''L'Aeronaute'' reported a different number, claiming that 20,000 people attended the funeral. It is known that the funeral was attended by many famous French politicians, scientists, writers, and scholars. Among them were Pierre Danfert-Rochereau, Paul Bert, Jean-Baptiste Dumas, Edmond Frémy, Ernest Picard,
Henri Giffard Baptiste Jules Henri Jacques Giffard (8 February 182514 April 1882) was a French engineer. In 1852 he invented the steam injector and the powered Giffard dirigible airship. Career Giffard was born in Paris in 1825. He invented the injector a ...
,
Henri Dupuy de Lôme Stanislas Charles Henri Dupuy de Lôme (; 15 October 18161 February 1885) was a French naval architect. He was the son of a naval officer and was born in Ploemeur near Lorient, Brittany, in western France. He was educated at the École Polytechn ...
, and others.


Memorials

After the funeral of Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel, the French Society of Aerial Navigation and several major newspapers announced a public fundraising campaign to help the families of the deceased and to install a memorial at the crash site of the balloon. This monument, designed by
Albert Tissandier Albert Tissandier (1839 – 5 September 1906) was a French architect, aviator, illustrator, editing, editor and archaeologist. He was the brother of adventurer Gaston Tissandier with whom he collaborated in writing the magazine ''La Nature'' ...
, was solemnly unveiled on March 25, 1881. It took the form of a large stone obelisk. On April 4, 2017, it was added to France's historical memory list. In 1878, a sculptural composition depicting the scientists was ceremoniously installed at the
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...
. The composition was created by the French sculptor Alphonse Dumilatre. According to the sculptor's idea, Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel lie side by side, holding hands. This pose was how their bodies were found by local peasants, the first to arrive at the ''Zenith'' crash site. This unique sculpture on the scientists' tomb attracts thousands of tourists who visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery every year. The crash of ''Zenith'' and the French poet and future
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
laureate
Sully Prudhomme René François Armand "Sully" Prudhomme (; 16 March 1839 – 6 September 1907) was a French poet and essayist. He was the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901. Born in Paris, Prudhomme originally studied to be an engineer, bu ...
to write the poem ''Le Zenith.'' The crash of ''Zenith'' so moved the French community that in the first years after the tragedy, several operatic compositions were created in honor of Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel, performed during theatrical performances. The most famous of these were: ''Le Zenith'' (lyrics: Adolphe Perrot, music:
Robert Planquette Jean Robert Planquette (; 31 July 1848 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of songs and operettas. Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, especially ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (1878), the length o ...
) and ''Les martyrs du Zénith'' (lyrics: Julien Foc, music: Jacob Jules). In 1983, the French politician and then Minister of Culture Jack Lang decided to design and build a large concert and exhibition hall outside of Paris. The chosen location for the construction was the La Villette Park. Since the ''Zenith'' balloon had once taken off from this park, the concert hall was named in its honor, ''Le Zénith''. Later, this name was registered as a trademark, and the concept of building large concert and exhibition halls called ''Le Zénith'' was expanded throughout France. As of 2021, 17 such concert halls have been built and are operational across the country. In the
14th arrondissement of Paris The 14th arrondissement of Paris ( ), officially named ''arrondissement de l'Observatoire'' (; meaning "arrondissement of the Observatory"; named after the Paris Observatory), is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of Paris, ...
, a street is named in honor of Joseph Crocé-Spinelli. Additionally, a college in the 14th arrondissement of Paris is named after the scientist.Website of the Crocé-Spinelli College
/ref>


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croce-Spinelli, Joseph 1845 births 1875 deaths École Centrale Paris alumni French balloonists Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1875