Zeppelins and Hindenburg Collection

Zeppelin , Aircraft

Original Photo

Lot of 5 real photo postcards showing German zeppelins during World War II. each photo measure 5.5 x 3.5 inches. The first Zeppelins had long cylindrical hulls with tapered ends and multi-plane fins. 3 images show the aircraft in flight, and 2 show the huge Zepplin in the hangar with passengers boarding, the image gives us the huge scale of the blimp. Patented in Germany in 1895, these blimps were first flown commercially in 1910 before they were reallocated as weapons of war. During World War I the German military made use of Zeppelins as scouts and bombers, resulting in over 500 deaths in bombing raids in Britain. Following German defeat, the aircraft were surrendered under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which also prohibited further German construction of airships. In 1926, restrictions were lifted, and work began on the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, pictured on these cards.LZ 126 made its first flight on 27 August 1924. Another image shows the Hindenburg with Nazi swastikas on its tail. The Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built. It had been designed to use non-flammable helium, but the only supplies of the gas were controlled by the United States, which refused to allow its export. Therefore, the Hindenburg was filled with flammable hydrogen. On 6 May 1937, while landing in Lakehurst after a transatlantic flight, the tail of the ship caught fire, and within seconds, the Hindenburg burst into flames, killing 35 of the 97 people on board. The Hindenburg disaster in 1937 was largely responsible for the end of the Zeppelins for common use. One postcard has address and message in penciled German on verso.The images are powerful both in the scale of the aircraft in relation to surrounding object and in the artistic black and white tones. Overall all 5 images in very good condition.

Item #18443

Price: $450.00