Historic USS Shenandoah Naval Airship Photograph (1923) for Sale

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Historic USS Shenandoah Naval Airship Photograph (1923) For Sale

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Historic USS Shenandoah Naval Airship Photograph (1923):
$129.00

Historic original double-weight photograph of the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) the first of four United States Navy rigid airships pictured with a smaller inflatable (J-1) in their hanger (likely Lakehurst Naval Air Station, NJ where it was constructed during 1922-23). The Shenandoah first flew in September 1923 and was later destroyed on its 57thflight in a squall line over Ohio in September 1925.

Notice the size scale of the airship in comparison to the automobiles and people nearby. The airship was 680 feet long and weighed 36 tons. It had a range of 5,000 miles and could reach speeds of 70 miles per hour.

A pioneering venture based on the design of the Zeppelin bomber L-49 (LZ-96) built in 1917, the Shenandoah tested many of the capabilities for fleet reconnaissance work. On October 27, 1923 the Shenandoah celebrated Navy day with a flight down the Shenandoah Valley and returned to Lakehurst at night by way of Washington and Baltimore with crowds gathered to see the airship in the beams of searchlights. At one time it was planned for Artic exploration. On September 3, 1925 while on a promotional flight planned to the Midwest to include flyovers of 40 cities and visits to state fairs, it flew into turbulence and thunderstorms over Ohio resulting in a crash that killed fourteen crew members including Commander Zachary Lansdowne. Twenty-nine survivors succeeded in riding three sections of the airship that were torn apart and fell to the ground. Much looting occurred before the arrival of military personnel. Days later federal and state agents recovered much property when visiting homes in the area. Interestingly, the Annapolis class ring of Lansdowne was found by chance near the crash site in 1937.

9.75 X 5.875. Small 1/4” border tear near bottom left border. Very good condition.