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Auction: 24034 - Stamps and Covers of the World
Lot: 1623

(x) United States of America
Crash Mail
The Infamous 'Hindenburg' Disaster
1937 (5 May) envelope from Amsterdam to Mrs. Benn Levis, New York bearing 12½c. 'Hermes' head (6), the envelope recovered from the 'Hindenburg' when the airship exploded on landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The salvaged mail was forwarded to the Foreign Section of the United States Post Office for delivery to addressees with each cover sealed in a wrapper and with the official seal; One of around 360 items recovered from the airship out of 17,609 originally flown, and with only a small proportion documented. A hugely rare and fine piece of tragic Zeppelin crash mail history. Arthur Falk Certificate (1983). Photo

Note:
On May 5th 1937, the "Hindenburg" left Frankfurt, Germany for Lakehirst, New Jersey, U.S.A. with a stop in Amsterdam, on its maiden voyage. It carried 96 passengers and 17,609 pieces of mail.

As the Hindenburg was landing in Lakehurst, it exploded and was destroyed in about 34 secdonds. Nevertheless, 61 people survived and over 350 pieces of mail in various degrees of burned conditon were salvaged.

No airship was built after this disaster and those airships existing were immediately stopped from flying again.

provenance:
Michael Rogers Auction, Florida, September 1991
Christoph Gartner Auction, Germany, 2009

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£3,000 to £5,000