Description:

Hindenburg
New York, NY, May 11, 1936
Flown Hindenburg Cover on First Flight & Rare Postal Handbill!
Relic

Historic first flight airmail cover carried on the LZ 129 Hindenburg during its 1936 transatlantic service, along with an original postal announcement broadside detailing the demonstration flights of the Hindenburg to the United States. The cover shows evidence of mailing and the broadside features expected folds, remnants of tape on verso, else fine.

Hindenburg First Flight Cover:

Front: The envelope is addressed to Mr. Albert P. Meyer, New York City, and bears a combination of U.S. 5¢ and 25¢ airmail stamps postmarked May 9, 1936, New York, NY, timed perfectly for the Hindenburg's historic flight. The cover features the iconic purple Hindenburg first flight cachet with imagery of the airship over a globe, alongside typed routing instructions noting carriage "Per Airship Hindenburg via Friedrichshafen / Lakehurst."

Reverse: The back of the envelope bears a clear German receiving postmark from Frankfurt (Main) 2, dated 14 May 1936, along with a "Mit Luftschiff Hindenburg befördert" (Carried by Airship Hindenburg) cachet picturing the airship D-LZ129.


Hindenburg Demonstration Flight Broadside:

Date: Dated August 1, 1936, the broadside outlines the schedule for five additional demonstration flights between Frankfurt, Germany, and Lakehurst, New Jersey in late 1936.

Content: It explains postal rates for mail carried aboard the Hindenburg, special cachets for mail carried, and instructions for dispatching U.S. and German mail.

Format: Printed on light yellow paper, this broadside serves as a rare official communication for collectors and postal historians.

The LZ 129 Hindenburg was the pride of German aviation, representing the height of airship travel before its tragic destruction in 1937. The first North American flight in May 1936 was a milestone in transatlantic airmail service. Covers from these early flights are highly sought after by collectors of Zeppelin and aviation memorabilia. The inclusion of the original demonstration flight schedule broadside makes this lot particularly compelling, offering direct historical insight into the Hindenburg's operations and its important role in pioneering intercontinental air mail service.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: Handbill 8" x9.5" / Cover 6.5" x 3.5"
  • Medium: Relic

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June 4, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000