ZEPPELIN MAIL

This page was last updated
24-Feb-2024 06:40

GRAF ZEPPELIN I
(LZ127)

BACKGROUND: The Graf Zeppelin was without doubt the most successful of the great Zeppelin airships. With her first flight on 18th Sep 1928 she went on to operate 590 flights, covering almost 1.7 million Km, that took her to all corners of the world and showcased Germany's prowess in the field of lighter-than-air flight.

In total LZ127 crossed the Atlantic Ocean 143 times and the Pacific Ocean once. She carried 13,110 passengers and 106,700 Kg of mail and freight. Airbourne for a total of 17,177 hours (717 days or almost 2 years) she never had a serious accident or killed or injured a single passenger or crew member. Although not a commercial success she was undoubtedly one of the most important of the Zeppelin airships and was only retired after the crash of LZ129.

Friedrichshafen a.B. "Graf Zeppelin" in voller Fahrt vom Flugzeug aus gesehen

The following example was produced by Graph Kunst- u. Verlagsanstalt K. Weber & Co., Stuttgart and is numbered 78639/30.038




The two examples below are slightly different versions of the same postcard. The card on the left was published by Graph Kunstverlagsanftal Mar Mattes, Stuttgart and is marked as Nr. 8982/FZ/DD 29. The card on the right was produced by the same publisher but is numbered Nr. 8982 without the additional postfix.





The following example was produced by Graph Kunst- u. Verlagsanstalt K. Weber & Co., Stuttgart and is numbered 78568/10.037

"Graf Zeppelin Einbringen in die Halle"

The following card has the title "Graf Zeppelin Einbringen in die Halle" and was produced by Gebr. Metz, Kunstantalt, Tübingen 152 M 6. There is an additional inscription along the lower left edge on the reverse of the card that reads "Lichtbildabteilung Luftschiffbau Zeppelin."




REFERENCES:

1. MICHEL Zeppelin- und Flugpost-Spezial 2017/2018 3. Auflage. ISBN 978-3-95402-161-1
2. Wikipedia