American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography, including The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

Houston, Harry, Ed. Airships: Transatlantic Transportation. New York, NY: Navy Relief Society New Jersey Auxiliary, Official Program Corporation, 1936.

4to (9 x 12 in), 36pp. Original illustrated wrappers (wear including some surface loss to wrappers, soiling and creasing/wear consistent with age and handling throughout).

Page 6 features a large halftone image of the Hindenburg having just emerged from its hangar for a rest flight in 1936, with a crowd of onlookers below. The image is signed by 6 individuals, 5 of whom we can identify to crew members who were aboard the ship on 6 May 1937, the day it caught fire. Surviving crew members whose signatures are featured here include Joseph LIEBRECHT, an electrician; Wilhelm BALLA, a steward; and Philip LENZ, the ship's chief electrician. The crew members who perished include Ernst HUCHEL, the ship's senior elevatorman; and Josef SCHREIBMULLER, one of the ship's chief mechanics. The unidentified signature appears to read, "[?] Kunkel," possibly for Ernst Kunkel, an electrician who survived the disaster, but we cannot confirm this identification.

A rare souvenir representing one of the darkest hours in aviation history.