Hollins moved to London for a few years in his mid twenties earning his living creating portraits in oils and the occasional miniature.

His works were successfully entered for exhibitions at the British Institution and the Royal Academy of Art.

[2] Charles Green, a professional balloonist and aeronaut planned the record attempt which set out from Vauxhall Gardens in London on 7 November 1836 at 1:30 p.m.

The balloon returned to earth in Germany establishing a distance record that was to remain unbroken until the twentieth century (1905).

[3] There are six people in the painting, three of them are those who made the journey, Hollond, Green and Monck Mason; the others were Walter Prideaux, William Milbourne James (who became an eminent judge) and Hollins himself.

[1] Hollins died on 7 March 1855, at his residence in Berners Street, London, aged 56 years.