| Gifts
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DVD | Lithographs | Models |
Posters | Prints | Sculptures | Signs |
Resources | Suggestions
Passenger
Flights
Books
 Althoff. U.S.S.
Los Angeles. The Navy's Venerable Airship
and Aviation Technology. Here is the complete history
of the U.S. Navy's most successful airship, built by
the Zeppelin Company.
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 Botting. Dr.
Eckner's Dream Machine. Tells the enthralling
story of the development of the zeppelin - one of the
great inventions of aviation history and one of the most
spectacular technological marvels of its age.
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 De Syon. Zeppelin!
Germany and the Airship 1900-1939. Book presents a witty and insightful history
of this technological wonder, from development and production
to its impact on German culture and society.
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 Dick & Robinson. Graf
Zeppelin & Hindenburg: Golden
Age of the Great Passenger Airships. Drawing on extensive
material he collected during his five years at the Zeppelin
Company from 1934 through 1938, Harold Dick tells the
story of the two great passenger Zeppelins. Against the
background of German secretiveness, Dick's accumulation
of material and pictures is extraordinary. Highly recommended!
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 Donkin. Zeppelin:
The Age of the Airship. Explore
the triumphs and tragedies of the age of the great airships,
from their invention by "crazy" Count Ferdinand
von Zeppelin to their decline after the Hindenburg disaster.
Ages 7 and up.
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 Hedin. The
Zeppelin Reader. Vivid accounts
of the legendary figures... von Zeppelin, Eckener, Santos-Dumont;
memoirs, logs, journals... of the crews, journalists
and survivors.
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 Hyde. The
First Blitz: 1917-1918: The German Bomber Campaign Against
Britain in the First World War. Although usually
associated with WWII, German raids on Britain began with
Zeppelin attacks early in World War I.
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 Majoor. Inside
the Hindenburg. Ken Marschall's breathtakingly
realistic paintings by depict the Hindenburg -- greatest
airship ever to fly -- and its final journey. Designed
for young readers but interesting for all.
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 Pace, Montgomery & Zitarosa. Naval
Air Station, Lakehurst. This photo-essay explores the famed Naval Air Station
at Lakehurst from 1917 to the early 1970s. Images cover
all eras of its rich history: first as a Proving Ground,
then as an airship station, and most recently as a Naval
test site. A gem.
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 Robinson. The
Zeppelin in Combat: A History of the German Naval Airship
Division 1912-1918. New photos from original
war-era negatives and newly-released documentation from
British archives on Zeppelin operations over England.
300 photos, 320 pgs. Authoratative!
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Shock. American
Airship Bases and Facilities. Tons of info and diagrams about handling
rigid airships, with closeup details on everything from the ZRS
stern beam to the Ford high mast, every hangar ever built
by anybody, the little- known Army airship program, Navy
timber hangars and airships even in France during WWII,
maps of locations by era, etc. etc. Details
of construction, ground handling and a view of what the sites are like today. |
Shock. US
Army Airships: 1908-1942. Begins with the Army Airship Service in the Balloon
Corps where soldier-airmen tested and operated a diverse fleet of pressure airships. |
 Shock. US
Navy Airships: 1915-1962. Here in one volume are the separate
histories of all Navy airships - including the great rigid
dirigibles and their hook-on planes. |
 Shock & Smith. The
Goodyear Airships. This third-edition explores
the 80-year history of Goodyear-built and operated
advertising, military and rigid airships. Includes
the entertaining and educational text from the earlier
editions and also contains new material, color photo
sections and a color foldout cutaway illustration. |
 Stephenson. Zeppelins:
German Airships 1900-40. Count Ferdinand
von Zeppelin's first airship, the LZ 1, flew on July 2,
1900. Here, you'll trace this rich history from inception,
to the crash of the Hindenburg, to zeppelins in WWII. |
 Toland. The Great
Dirigibles. Daring flights
of early pioneers, descriptions of great American airships
and much more, beginning with pioneer invention by Dr.
Solomon Andrews in 1865 and ending with the Hindenburg
crash in 1937. |
 Topping & Brothers. When
Giants Roamed the Sky. From Zeppelin in Germany to Goodyear in Ohio,
Karl Arnstein participated in the design and development
of more airships than any other engineer. |
 Trimble. Jerome
C. Hunsaker and the
Rise of American Aeronautics. Hunsaker's cumulative effect on both American aeronautics
and engineering is immense. This meticulous chronicle of Hunsaker's six decades
in aeronautics traces both his incredible accomplishments and dispiriting setbacks.
His career truly parallels the rise of aviation in America. |
 Van Treuren & Bain. Hindenburg
/ Hydrogen: The Wrong Paint, The Right Fuel. Examines
and debunks the myths surrounding the Hindenburg disaster.
Significant research. |
 Ypres. Airfields & Airmen. The Royal Naval Air Service
attempted to intercept Germany's Zeppelins and early long-range
bombers before they could reach the skies over London. |
DVD |
 The
Hindenburg. George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft star
in this film about a plot to destroy the German zeppelin
before it reaches New Jersey in 1937. Marvelous recreation
of the Hindenburg and the feeling of flight. |
Lithographs |
 Fox. D-LZ 129 Hindenburg. Detailed, black and white charcoal
pencil lithograph shows the famed German airship, of which
more than 300 were built. This highly collectible print
is 20"x
16" including border with title. Detailed, black
and white charcoal pencil lithograph |
Models |
 Hindenburg
Display Model. Remarkable,
museum-quality model re-creates the Hindenburg as she appeared
in 1937. Featuring a silk-stretched wood frame, this hand-assembled
model has 600 joints, has a surface sheen that replicates
the appearance of the powdered aluminum and varnish finish
of the original, and measures an impressive 44 ¼" long with
a 9" diameter.
Arrives ready to hang. Very impressive! |
 Graf
Zeppelin LZ-127 Sculpture Kit. Photo-etched stainless
steel pieces easily assemble into a dramatic aircraft sculpture
that is sure to impress! Requires a modeling knife, metal
cutter, tweezers and epoxy adhesive to assemble your own
museum quality display piece. Display stand included. 9" long
when complete. Marvelous! |
Posters |
 Poster.
Graf
Zeppelin. While the Empire State Building was indeed built with a
dirigible mooring mast at its pinnacle, this image is,
alas, just the vision of a future that never came. This
idea is incorporated in the 2004 "Sky Captain" movie. |
Prints |
 Print:
Chernev. Hindenburg
- Ship of Dreams. 30"x 24" limited
edition print is signed by the artist and Werner Franz,
the lone surviving crewmember of the Hindenburg. |
Sculptures |
 Sculpture:
Zeppelin 3D Crystal. This unique display piece features
a laser engraved design suspended within a solid piece
of optically clear crystal. The image displays intricate
detail when viewed from any angle and refracts colorful
light beams in all directions - yet the surface of the
cube remains perfectly smooth. Cube measures 3"x 1¾"x
1¾". |
Signs |
 Sign:
Airship
Hindenburg / American Airlines. Porcelain-on-steel,
enameled. |
VHS |
 VHS.
The
American Zeppelins (Airship History Series). Tells
the story of how the United States tried to keep up, first
by trying to purchase airships overseas, then by building
the "USS Shenandoah," a copy of a German Zeppelin. |
 VHS.
The
Hindenburg (History Channel). This is the complete
story of the world's largest airship, from the struggles
of its visionary creator, Count Zeppelin, to the theory
that a bomb caused its destruction. Approx. 100 min. |
 VHS:
Lighter
than Air History: The Rigid Airships. From conception
to first flight, from tragedy to triumph, this riveting
documentary explores the early airships and their place
as a catalyst for world travel from the 1920s-1940s. Originally
designed to inform the public and promote peacetime use
of these airships, this film features rare live footage
capturing the behemoths taking flight. |
 VHS.
LZ129:
Hindenburg. Containing newsreels, outtakes, company
films and private motion pictures, this collection features
the Hindenburg in all of its finest moment. |
Resources
Suggestions from the AIRSHIP-list
Airship postcards and stamps:
Go to a postcard collecting show or antique show and look
for old ones. Prices vary a lot -- $5 to $50 and up. For added
glamour, you could mat and frame the card(s).
Badges, medals, wings:
Pieces of History
P.O. Box 4470
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Phone: 602-488-1377
Fax: 800-488-1316
Blimp banks:
Madeof diecast metal by SpecCast sound especially cool --
you can use them to save up your money for more airship stuff!
There's a Budweiser, a Pepsi, and a Goodyear blimp. EVERS
TOYS -- Dyersville, IA? -- 1-800-962-9481.
Blimp and cloud salt & pepper shaker set:
somewhere out there, seen on ebay of course
Blimp models, ready made
ZZ Modelle.
Based in Germany, they manufacture 1/500 scale
Blimp tin toys
Bits & Pieces puzzle mail-order catalog is selling a
set of two tin , suitable for use as curios or holiday ornaments.
Blimps, Hot Wheels / Mattel:
Goodyear and Fuji
Blimps: radio-controlled and free-flight indoor flying models
Powered by electric motors with batteries. They really do
inflate with helium gas and they really do float in midair.
Sold by numerous catalogs. Try these:
Canada: http://www.advantage.ca/~blimps
USA: http://www1.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jpiri/
Die cast airships:
Eastwood Automobilia @ 800-343-9353. They also have an airship,
one with Lionel markings, another with Pepsi markings, each
costing $25. There is also a tin Pepsi sign featuring a picture
of a Zeppelin.
eBay
I couldn't believe the number of items I found by doing a
search under "Zeppelin". If I had an independent income, I
could start a well-supplied museum with what I found here.
If you wish to mention me in your will, I'd remember you forever.
Gift shops:
Moffet Field Museum, Mountain View, CA, has a great gift
shop. There are T-shirts, mugs, models, you name it. I think
they can describe things over the phone & mail them, and
they're a great group of people.
Tillamook Naval Air Station Museum (Tillamook, Oregon) that
someone else mentioned earlier: (503) 842-4553. I don't know
whether their gift shop does mail order.
Goodyear Gift Center -- Akron, OH -- (330) 796-7117
Goodyear blimp mugs, watches, alarm clock (second hand
is a blimp picture that circles the clock face!), inflatable
blimp, pins, key chains, stickers, etc. Basically, you can
order stuff that's really been made for Goodyear dealerships
to give away or sell for promotional purposes. Their search
function yields less than a hand full of items. You have
to dig at this site.
Hot air balloon items:
Dreams Come True (Ohio) carries alot. Also has a few blimps
items. They also have a web page. E-mail <dct@ee.net>
LZ129 Hindenburg pocketknife:
Supposedly a copy of 1936 original. Three blades, has profile
of ship on handle.
Bulldog Brand Knife Co.
PO Box 23522
Chattanooga, TN 37422
800-247-0599
Membership:
Light-Than-Air Society. Their web page is out there with
joining info. Also, books on airships are great!! Some novelty
shops and collector shops sell airship related items, but
you really have to look for them. I've seen reproductions
of metal sign plates that advertise American Airlines connecting
flights with the Hindenburg, and old adverts for "Zeppelin
Bread" with the slogan "Lighter than Air"! Very cool. Some
places even sell the inflatable promotional blimps that you
see in supermarkets with "Doritos" or "Bud Light" on them.
They are very cool for a blimp collector!!
Naval Airship Association: Over 1400 members, most of whom
served in the Navy LTA squadrons and bases from the 1930s
to the 1960s. Quarterly newsletter is full of interesting
history and present day developments.
Movies:
"Zeppelin", starring Michael York and Elke Somner (1971 I
think). The plot's not much, but there are many really nice
visuals of the inside of a rigid airship. Any good video store
should have it or be able to get it.
Another would be "The Hindenburg" starring George C. Scott.
Revisionist history, but they spent a fortune on building
the sets, so the visuals are spectacular. Pity they didn't
spend the money building a real airship.
CHITTY-CHITTY BANG-BANG! Solid cast, sound performance, nifty
plot -- and a FLYING reconstruction of a Lebaudy airship which
even made Lord Ventris' estimable work. Did the producer of
the HINDENBURG give you as much? Can you get ANY better than
this? (Port out, starboard home, that's the trip for me!)
"Flying the Blimp" VHS at Sporty's Pilot Shop.
"The Rocketeer" on DVD!
Paper models
PAPER MODELS INTERNATIONAL -- Beaverton, OR -- (503) 646-4289
Card-weight paper model kits.
Hindenburg, 1:500 scale (19"), with mooring mast and 1:200
scale model of passenger compartment, $7.95
U.S.S. Macon, 1:350 scale (27"), with mooring mast and
skyhook fighter plane
Graf Zeppelin, 1:200 (48"), $30.00
Graf Zeppelin, foil finish, 1:400 (23"), $30.00
Airship Express (apparently a made-up design), 24", $17.00
Posters:
AllPosters.com:
Click on transportation, then
on blimps. They have the finest collection of airship prints
I have ever come across -- it is extensive.
Rubber stamps:
Airship & dirigibles, lots of them. ImaginAir
Designs
Teapots:
Racing
Teapots! The teapots can have any airship markings
applied - free of charge to AIRSHIP-list members.
Tin plate reproductions of advertisement:
I have personally seen two. One is a reproduction advertising
"Zeppelin Bread" with the slogan "Lighter than air" and one
is a reproduction advertising American Airlines' connecting
flights from Zeppelins.
I think the sign in question -- American Airlines & the
Hindenburg (or was it the Graf Zeppelin?) -- is the one I
saw in a recent Eastwood Automobilia catalog (they're not
too strict about sticking to automobile stuff, obviously).
I'm pretty sure catalogs are free for the asking at 1-800-343-9353.
Ask for the collectibles catalog, specifically.
Wine:
There is a California wine with the wonderful name of RED
ZEPPELIN which might make a great gift. The label is a red
background with a zeppelin imbedded nose first into a vineyard.
The name is "RED ZEPPELIN California red table wine BON JORY
RED 1993" back of label states the following" Dazed and confused,
I crawled from the wreckage of the great airship. I dodged
the burning barrels that rolled between the vines: Vasges,
Allier, Jupilles. I felt like a great wolverine on Grenache....
[signed] Bon Jorey" and "we welcome your questions
or com ments. write us at Jory Winery, PO Box 1496 Lod Gatos
CA 95031. 800-347-2134" Priced at around $10 in Washington
DC area. Have not tasted it yet, waiting for that special
occasion.
Zeppelin diner model
Painted cast resin, 6.75" long at EASTWOOD AUTOMOBILIA --
Pennsylvania -- 1-800-343-9353.
Zeppelin pens:
Levenger catalog (Fall 1996) is offering some lovely-looking
(I haven't bought them) A fountain pen is $139, a roller ball
$129, and ink is available (bottled or cartridged; the fountain
pen uses both). The fountain pen is available in broad, medium,
and fine widths.
The catalog's number is 1-800-544-0880, and it's at http://www.levenger.com.
The fountain pen is part number APP400; the roller ball APP410.
The pen was apparently commissioned by the Freidrichshafen
Zeppelin Museum people and is an unusual solid brass with
silver plating design. The nib has an appropriate "Z" engraved
on it.
Zeppelin Pepsi banks:
We have started a bank collection, as well as a Zeppelin
cover collection, for our daughter (16 mos) and we thought
that this would be a great Christmas gift.
I have one of the new Spec-Cast Bud blimps (similar to the
Pepsi blimp). Well-detailed for a "generic" airship. Order
thru the Bud website or aviation museum gift shops, etc. that
carry such airplane cast metal banks.
Banks: I have one of the new Spec-Cast Bud blimps (similar
to the Pepsi blimp). Well-detailed for a "generic" airship.
Order thru the Bud website or aviation museum gift shops,
etc. that carry such airplane cast metal banks. I got mine
from the Home Shopping Network, of all places. I think it
was $25, and I had a $10 off coupon for making my first purchase.
I don't know how often they run that item, but it is there!
Zeppelin tin toys:
Old Navy Clothing Co., a division of the Gap, is selling
tin toys for US$12 apiece. Among these is a Graf Zeppelin
windup toy. It is noted on the box as being "For Collectors
Only" and not suitable for children under 9. There is a warning
label on the toy itself that says "Warning: for collectors
only. Not safe for children."
Unlike most of this company's merchandise, the zeppelin toy
does not have any reference on it to "Old Navy". It is not
painted, but it has "Graf Zeppelin" stamped on both sides
in the tin. It has a small, spring-driven propeller in the
front, with two large wheels and a small tin wheel in the
rear for balance. The spring drives the wheels as well as
the propeller, and it works well on a hard floor. It is about
9 1/2 inches long and 4 inches high.
The other toys are a rocket carousel, an aerodome, a motorcycle
with sidecar, and a rocket racer with siren. I suggest you
rush out to get them now, because this zep toy will move very
quickly at this price.
I also noticed a nice selection of tiny tin Christmas tree
ornaments, including a 4 inch long airship in 2 varieties
- 1 marked "Graf Zeppelin", and the other - identical, except
that it's marked "Zeppelin". There were also little biplanes,
trains, streetcars, and fire trucks. Boy howdy, neat stuff!
I didn't find a web site, but there is a phone # - 1-800-OLD-NAVY
- I think they do a catalogue.
All of the items mentioned (Graf Zeppelin & Stealth Zeppelin
wind-ups, mini Zep and Dornier Flying boat Christmas ornaments)
are marketed in this country by Schylling, Inc., Peabody,
MA (the wholesaler). The items are available retail at museum
gift shops, specialty stores like Old Navy, Christmas stores,
etc.
In 1998, I purchased a Zeppelin tin toy at a gift shop on
the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto California
for about $8.00. It is about 9 inches long with oversize wheels
and a small propeller on the gondola. You wind it up and it
races across the floor. The box it came in said it was a remake
of an old toy. It is may still made by Schylling because it
can be viewed at http://www.schylling.com/.
Unfortunately there is no pricing or ordering information
at this site.
Another web site http://www.wwcd.com/flos/index.html
lists the following Schylling product ... 09282 TIN ORNAMENT
ZEPPELIN 6.00 but this sounds like a Christmas tree ornament.
I have emailed them for a clarification.
At the same gift shop I purchased my most useful airship
item - a diecast replica of the Los Angeles that is also manufactured
by Schylling. It is 5 inches long and the tail section screws
off to reveal a pencil sharpener. I don't know if this item
is still available.
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