The first American-built rigid airship to use helium, the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1, commissioned 1923) was destroyed in a squall on September 3, 1925, with the bulk of the airship crashing near Ava, Ohio; this collection consists of 22 negatives taken at the site of crash.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 22 original 2.5 x 3.5 inch negatives taken by an unknown photographer at the site of the USS Shenandoah crash in 1925, and prints made by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum from the negatives in 1996.
Biographical / Historical:
The first American-built rigid airship to use helium, the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1, commissioned 1923) was destroyed in a squall on September 3, 1925, with the bulk of the airship crashing near Ava, Ohio; a 125 ft piece of the bow section landed 12 miles away. Fourteen of the crew of 43 men were killed.
Provenance:
Frank A. Spicher, Sr., Gift, 1996, NASM.1996.0017.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests