Historic Photos for A. Mac – The Hindenburg
Remember the Hindenburg? Thanks to my Uncle Louie, we found quite an archive of history, hidden away in his desk.
Uncle Louie, a veteran of WWI, was a keeper of the archives-- a family job that I have taken on with enthusiasm! The one nice thing I can say about being an only child is that everyone leaves you all their detritus. Someday, all these things are going to be in a museum, if my son doesn't want them... Although which museum, I'm hard put to say. Would anyone visit a Junque Museum?
Uncle Louie had a large desk. It had a top that folded out, and a long-armed man could work on its polished surface comfortably. He bought it from the local railroad depot when it closed, where my Grandpa had worked as a young man. When Uncle Louie passed away, his wife, Aunt Lois, closed his desk and left everything just as he had left it. I was eleven years old when he died, and quite heartbroken. Twenty five years later, after her death, I opened his desk for the first time. It was like opening a time capsule into my childhood.
On the desk were sheets of music that he had notated-- the song "Stardust", written by Hoagie Carmichael. His transcription of the song into the key for cornet was right on top-- for me to play-- and written in his fine draftsman-like penmanship. It is a very difficult song to notate, as it has several key changes and 'accidentals'. As always, I was never quite ready for his musical challenges, although he had high hopes. His pencil, the end blunt for coloring in the musical notes, lay nearby.
In one of the pigeon holes were little twists of papers-- gravel that I had given him that I thought was pretty. My note said, "Dear Uncle Louie, these sparkle in the sun", in my childish hand. It was quite a revelation to realize, even all those years ago, my path through adulthood was set-- and was stronger than his wish for me for something else. (I still love sparkly rocks and am fascinated by rocks of all kinds.)
The book that he was reading, a copy of "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", was wrapped in brown paper, and hidden there. Uncle Louie was quite sensitive to the fact that he was German, and we had fought two wars with Germany. He had done more than his duty in one of those wars, as his metals attested. His grandfather's silver flute was pushed to the back ina leather case. In the corner was a card I had made him while he was sick-- a picture of a cat from a magazine, pasted onto construction paper, and signed "XOXOXO". In various pigeon holes were successful school papers I hadshown him. Deep, within one of the drawers, lay his WWI medals, his WWI diary, his WWI bible, and a small envelope.
I carefully opened the envelope, and out fell a series of pictures. Where had they come from? How did he get them? There is no one left alive to ask-- Aunt Lois was the last of that fine generation. My mother had never seen them before.
I think they are of the tragedy of the Hindenburg, Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1937. I have absolutely no idea who the people are in the picture, or the person who took the pictures, or how Uncle Louie received the pictures...
Thank you for coming by!
These are poorly scanned in, and copied from an old article, so the resolution isn't that wonderful. BUT, I'm having trouble getting my scanner to cooperate, so can only hope that these are ok, for our purposes here.
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I hope that you find these interesting!
Thanks for coming by!
Another spell-binding trap to fall into....
A desk, some sheet music, some more rustlings in the corner of your mind...
Thank you for showing us these wonderful pictures, and photos.
What an amazing find! I am in awe! To be in possession of such pictures and alloriginalsis amazing. Even the story of your uncle is wonderful.
Doswer you neverceaseto amaze me!
You are very welcome! There are so many things around the house that bring closer to them... I loved Uncle Louie, so much! He was a good man, and he had all kinds of wonderful things!
Rustlings is a really good way to put it. Sometimes, things just want to come out!
LOL! I hope in a good way!
I would hate to be the 'horrible example'...
Hey everyone! I'm off to work where NT is blocked, so I'll see you this afternoon! Hope all of you have a great day today!
What a great article Dowser and thank you for sharing! Very nice!
Thanks for this article and the photos. If your scanner isn't doing the job, a good digital camera might produce good images -- make sure the picture surface and the lens are aligned so there's no angle distortion. Shoot on a tripod if you can in daylight but watch out for reflections.
Again, thanks for these; I'm working on my 1000 or so Magic Lantern slides and will post another Vintage Photo article soon.
Larry, you are so kind! Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures!
I LOVE vintage photos. They are so interesting, and I sit there think of the exact moment in time that the camera captured...
I need to scan in things-- right now, I can't get my computer to communicate with the scanner, but I may be able to get Magnum's computer to communicate. Frankly, moving all the stuff on the table where the scanner is is more than a notion, right now... So, someday, I'll get this done for you!
MUCH love, dearest A. Mac!
Thanks so much for posting these photos along with your story. I can only imagine how amazing it was for you to go through your Uncle Louie's desk and discover not only new treasures like these Hindenburg photos, but also all of those great old memories as well!
Admittedly, I stumbled across your post here because of the Hindenburg photos. I've been a student of Zeppelin history since I was a kid, and I've done an awful lot of research on the Hindenburg over the years. In fact, I've been out to Lakehurst several times and have stood on just about the same spots where the sailor is standingin your Uncle Louie's photos. I'm not sure who the sailor is, but I know a few people who might possibly be able to help me to identify him once you can get clear scans made of these photos.
It's a long shot, I will admit, because so many were stationed at Lakehurst back then. But these photos look like they may have been taken within afew daysof the crash, and this sailor was very likely at the air station the night of the disaster. With a clearer view of his face, perhapsI might get lucky and find somebody who can identify him for you.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that, judging from the angle of the shadows and where the sailor is standing,these photos were shot in the late afternoon or early evening.
I'll keep checking in here periodically to see if you've managed to get your scanner working.
Thanks again for sharing these photos! I can say with virtual certainty that they have not been published before.
Take care,
Patrick
What a wonderful story and the photos, oh my, they are great.
What a great experience going through his desk and finding all the wonderful things that you did Dowser.
I loved Uncle Louis so very much-- it was like I finally got to know him as an adult! He was a wonderful person of many talents.
Thanks, Kavika-- I think the pictures are really neat!
A piece of history!
MUCH love to you!
Patrick! My gosh, I missed your post!
Thank you for your help and for your kindness-- it would be so neat to find out who the guy was! Maybe then, I could figure out how Uncle Louie got them!
I'll try to get the scanner going again-- or buy a new one. It is certainly frustrating to not be able to scan things! This may take a few weeks, though...
Wow, never-before published! Wow!!!
Hi Dowser,
I hear you on your scanner frustrations. I had two computers and my main external hard drive conk out on me in the space of a month or two this past summer, and it can be maddening to not have a system that works properly. For what it's worth, I have a Canon MP240 scanner/printer combo that has worked very well for me for the past couple of years. I'm sure you'll find either a good new scanner or a solution to whatever ails your current one, though.
I'm pretty sure these are personal snapshots that somebody took at the Hindenburg crash site, and not news photos. Now that I look a little closer, though, the photos may have been taken somewhat later than I thought. Immediately after the disaster (either late that night or very early the next morning) a cordon of Marines from nearby Fort Dix was ordered to guard the wreck and keep everyone away who didn't haveofficial permission to approach the wreck. I don't see the guards around the wreckage in any of these photos, so I'm thinking that the photos may possibly have been taken in June of 1937 after the official investigation had been wrapped up, but before they began removing the wreck from the airfield.
Whether we can figure out who the sailor is or not, I don't know. I'm sure willing to give it a try, though. It's a shame we weren't able to do any sleuthing about 5-10 years ago when there were still a couple of guys around who had been stationed at Lakehurst when the Hindenburg burned. But I do have some friends at the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society who may be able to lend a hand (an eye?) in identifying this fellow.
Is it possible that your Uncle Louis might have been stationed at Lakehurst? Or that one of his friends might have been?
Patrick
Oh the HUMANITY!
Thanks for sharing Dowser...
My husband's grandfather'suncle was the famous photographer for the Titanic. He was the official photographer for Harland and Wolff (ship builders).
When Ireland declared independence, my husband's branch of the family moved south and fought for the IRA. Since Robert Welch stayed a Brit, the family didnt speak to him after the split.
I would bet it was someone that he knew from Hawesville, or someone's son that he had served in WWI with. Other than that, I can't imagine. He would have been 46 at the time, so it could have easily been someone's son that he had served with in WWI, and kept in touch with. Uncle Louis was a member of the Army Band in WWI-- he played the cornet and served as a stretcher bearer. He played taps at the soldier's funerals.
Uncle Louis was interested in photography, back in the day when Kodak had box cameras and the lens slid out on a rail, trailing it's accordion pleats behind it... I want to scan in a bunch of pictures that I know he took and developed himself. A barn stormer took him up and he got some early aerial shots... All kinds of pictures with my Grandpa's first car! (Gosh are they funny)
It's going to take a bit to get myself organized again.
Thanks so much for your help and willingness to help! You are filling in so many pieces of the puzzle-- and that is wonderful!
Oh my gosh! Those were some interesting times... So much heartache!
My cousin, Ciel Bruce, (short for Cicielia), was on her honeymoon, on the Carpathia, and gave away most of her trousseau to the survivors. She and her husband were married in a balloon, of all things, then toured Europe. On their way home, they went on the Carpathia... After that, she didn't do much else of note, but for a while there, her life was very exciting!
Looking back, I often wonder if they would think my life dull and uninteresting...
In 1900.
(Copyright Notice/Original Image and Digital File Property A. Macarthur/A.G.)