Original Item: One of a Kind. "Oh the humanity..." is the quotation most people will think of when hearing mention of the German Luftschiff Zeppelin (Airship Zeppelin), LZ 129 Hindenburg. "The Hindenburg Disaster" is one of the most well known and documented aerial disasters in history. The media coverage was massive before the disaster, and was even larger afterwards. The disaster changed the course of Aviation history, as the event shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and marked the abrupt end of the airship era.

The disaster occurred at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, at 7:25pm, May 6, 1937. There have been many theories, but no definitive answer has ever been reached on what caused the Hindeburg to explode and burn. It remains a great mystery in the public conscience, even today.

Due to the publicity beforehand, many photographers were keen to snap photographs of the ship as it made its way to Lakehurst for Docking. As the view the passengers saw was one of the big bonuses of travel by airship, the course traveled over a lot of major cities, including Boston, Mass, where the photo that is the centerpiece of this small collection was taken.

The photograph is a lovely sepia tone example, showing the Hindenburg in the sky over boston. The photo is about 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" and has been matted and glazed in a lovely frame, which measures 13" x 16". The back has an original printed sheet from the company that sold the photo attached to it, which reads:

This remarkable photograph shows the Hindenburg as it was recorded on film with a 4 x 5 Speed Graphic Press Camera. The Zep made it's historic passing over Boston enroute to Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937. This was the first and only time the Swas was permitted to be flown over the United States. Note that the time on the Custom House Tower is 11:40 A.M. At 7:30 P.M. that same evening, the Zep blew up on making it's landing approach at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The photograph was printed from the original negative which is part of the "Brearley Collection." Dennis M. Brearley, who maintains the collection is responsible for the photographic process of this original photograph.

There's not much more to say about the photograph than that. It is in great condition, in a very nice frame. Along with the photo are two newspaper front pages from Friday, May 7, 1937, the day that the crash was reported. First there is a front page from the NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE: LATE CITY EDITION. It shows multiple stories about the Hindenberg. The headline reads Hindenburg Explodes at Lakehurst, 3 Die; Dirigible. Landing. Falls 500 Feet in Flames. Based on the print quality, this is most likely not an original, but a copy. Front pages for famous events are a very popular item to reprint for collectors.

The second front page is from the Seattle Post - Intelligencer, with a more accurate but also more embelished headline: GIANT ZEPPELIN EXPLODES IN MID-AIR; 34 DIE, 66 SAVED. This example measures 17" x 21 1/2", and is contained in a glass glazed wooden frame measuring 19" x 25" x 3/4". The print quality on this paper is much better, so it could be an original.

To finish up this wonderful collection is a copy of HINDENBURG: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY; RELIVING THE ERA OF THE GREAT AIRSHIPS, with Text by Rich Archbold and Paintings by Ken Marschall. ISBN: 0-446-51784-4, published in 1994. It still has the original slip cover, and is in very good condition. It is 229 pages long, and measures 12" x 11 1/4" x 1". The book is full of pictures, illustrations, and information regarding the age of airships.

This is a lovely Hindenburg historical set, ready to hang on the wall and display!