[AERONAUTICS / AVIATION / TECHNOLOGY]. A superlative archive of three large Goodyear-Zeppelin Co. Factory albums filled with 314 linen-backed silver gelatin photographs documenting the construction, commissioning, flights, crews, and support staff for the company’s storied airship program

Akron, Ohio: Goodyear- Zeppelin Corporation, 1934. Very good. Three vols. 12.25 x 8.75 in. Together 314 linen-backed silver gelatin photographs [vol. I: 180 photographs; vol. II: 50; vol. III: 84; some duplication], several photographs with Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp. publicity stamps on versos beneath the linen-backing, some with mimeographed typescript captions, others with explanatory annotations on versos, apparently in the same hand throughout (two photographs loose, others with edgewear and/or curling inherent with photographic archives from the 1920s and 30s. Photographs punch-sewn at gutter margins, brown or dark-brown leather covers tied with shoe-string (truncated) (some edgewear, rubbing, and scuffing to the bindings). An exceptional set, preserved in three linen protective cases. A UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE. THESE EXTRAORDINARY FACTORY ALBUMS CONTAIN 314 LINEN BACKED SILVER GELATIN PRINTS AND DOCUMENT THE PIVOTAL DECADE OF THE GOODYEAR-ZEPPELIN CORPORATION'S EFFORTS TO EXPAND AND PROMOTE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NON-RIGID AND RIGID LIGHTER-THAN-AIR AIRSHIPS FOR COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY PURPOSES.

The majority of photos herein document the construction of the vast USS AKRON (ZRS-4), and the USS MACON (ZRS-5) in the specially designed Goodyear Air Dock built on 60 acres of land donated by the city of Akron after Goodyear-Zeppelin (henceforth: G-Z) received the contract from the Navy. Along with aerial views of the Air Dock itself, there are images of the construction and assembly of the massive framework, skinning of the airships, installing the fins, and finally the ceremonies upon completion of the frames once the noses were installed while unskinned. In addition, to images depicting the specially labeled sections with skinning nearly complete in ceremonies, there are also photos of a G-Z executive standing next to a scale model and pointing out the finished framework progress on scale model for the press.

Depicted also are many of the Goodyear Co. L-T-A airships (under development and subsequent delivery) including the Mayflower NC-10A, Defender NC-12A, Reliance NC-14A, the Army Blimp TC-13, and others, as well the maintainance and modification of the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1, constructed at Lakehurst), and the delivered ZRS-3 Zeppelin (christened USS Los Angeles). Photos of many of the smaller US Navy and Army airships and blimps are also included.

THE USS MACON AND THE DOOMED USS AKRON:

There are photographs of both ships' crews quarters, catwalks, control stations, engine rooms, auxiliary control rooms, instruments and compass, gasoline tanks for the interior eight engines to drive the craft, the mooring apparatus, and even the main control rooms. At the time of their completion, these two ships were the largest airships ever built, and presented particular issues in docking. A special railcar was adapted with Goodyear & Michelin tires to act as a mooring vehicle (depicted here). Also included are photos capturing the USS Akron’s return from a 48 hour cruise, the G-Z Air Dock mooring mast, Lt. Commander Charles Rosendahl, Captain of the USS Akron, Lt. Comm. H.S Wiley, Ex-Officer of the USS Akron, as well as the cook’s galley, entrance to the engine rooms, washrooms, climbing the inner framework inside the USS Akron, the Weatherman Station in both the USS Akron & USS Macon, and more.

A few of the photos do make specific mention of personnel lost in the 1933 crash of the USS Akron, which went down off the coast of New Jersey during a violent storm, killing 73 of the 76 men on board (the ship was inadequately equipped with life rafts or even flotation devices). This was twice the death toll of the Hindenberg Explosion at Lakehurst in 1937. The archive contains an image of the wreckage of the British R-101 rigid airship, which crashed on 4 October 1930 and killed 48 of the 54 people on board.

The USS Macon was finally fitted with its two-seat WACO UBF XJW-1 biplanes, and skyhooks by summer of 1934, and in June, the airship dropped newspapers and magazines to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July using the Sparrowhawk biplanes. The USS Macon also faced pressure issues when flying over mountains in the West in 1934, having to vent too much helium, and then in turbulent weather using far more fuel to maintain stability. The USS Macon later encountered a storm during maneuvers off of Point Sur, CA in Feb., 1935, and after losing her upper tailfin, and structural integrity was abandoned in waters 10 miles out to see off of Point Sur, but most of the personnel survived as life jackets and rafts had been mandated after the USS Akron crash.

Other photos offer details of the Army Blimp TC-13 completed by Goodyear-Zeppelin, at the time the largest non-rigid airship ever built in the U.S.; view of the transport truck for the G-Z balloon for the National Geographic Society US Army Air Corps Stratosphere Flight, the specially fitted 1932 Ford heavy duty panel van used for docking of blimps, and even a series of photos detailing diesel engines added to the airship Defender, NC-12A and the initial 300 mile trip from Akron to Detroit. The Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp. also set out to design streamliner railcars. The three-car train featured 160 seats and could achieve a speed of 95-100 mph between Boston and Providence. Our archive also contains photos of E.W. Coffett, the G-Z Air Dock construction foreman for the USS Akron & USS Macon; an image comparing the "Pony Blimp" RS-1, the USS Los Angeles, and the USS Akron. Along with photographs of G-Z personnel are images of Akron houses built by the company for employees who worked on the various projects.

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS: Howard D. Vorwerk (1896-1985) was a successful commercial photographer for Goodyear Rubber & Tire Company during the 1920s and 1930s until World War II, and often shot the in-house company photos for the G-Z events, and construction. Truman D. Williamson (1906-1978) was also a longtime in-house company photographer for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., starting from the early 1920s and continuing his commercial photography career through World War II with them. Rell Sam Clements, Jr. (1886-1963) was a noted photographer based in Washington, D.C. who during the 1920’s shot several iconic photos of airships at Lakehurst, including the USS Shenandoah, the USS Los Angeles.

We were unable to locate similar factory albums, although some images appear in the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp. section of the Henry Cord Meyer L-T-A collection at the Library of Congress; Some digital images are also held by Cleveland State Univ. Lib. Digital Collection; including those of the Air Dock, the Duralumin Framework, and others.

SELECTED LITERATURE: See William Althoff, Sky Ships: A History of the Airship in the United States Navy (1990); Peter Brooks, Zeppelin: Rigid Airships, 1893-1940 (1992).

CATALOGUER'S NOTE: We have made grateful use of the finding aid prepared by our colleague Kol Shaver whose heroic efforts we are pleased to acknowledge. (Inventory #: 4314)