This collection, compiled by J. Gorden Vaeth, consists of documents, reports, news clippings, scrapbooks, publications, and photographs relating to rigid and non-rigid airships worldwide.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of documents, reports, news clippings, scrapbooks, publications, and photographs relating to rigid and non-rigid airships worldwide, including the USS Shenandoah; USS Akron; USS Macon; USS Los Angeles; Schütte-Lanz; R-23; TC-14: and the Zeppelins Hindenburg and Bodensee. It was compiled by J. Gordon Vaeth for personal and research reasons.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material. Most publications are housed individually in folders.
Biographical / Historical:
J. Gordon Vaeth (1921-2012) was an accomplished author and historian on the subject of airships. He was known as the 'leader of the airship underground' during his earlier days with the Naval Airship Program at the start of World War II. During his active duty in the U. S. Navy (1942-1946), he was assigned to Commander Airship Patrol Group One, later Commander Fleet, Airships, Atlantic, then to Naval Air Station Lakehurst. He entered civilian life in 1947, continuing to work with programs relating to airships, including at the Office of Naval Research, the Helios Project, and on Skyhook. Vaeth held many positions for the federal government and was the director of systems engineering for the National Environmental Satellite Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the time of his retirement. Vaeth was a frequent lecturer, including appearances in television documentaries, as well as the author of numerous professional articles and books.
General:
Additional materials: Mr. Vaeth also donated a number of books and volumes of "The Airship Quarterly" which are housed in National Air and Space Museum Branch Library.
Provenance:
J. Gordon Vaeth, Gift, 1993, NASM.1994.0011
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
This scrapbook consists of photographs of Sergeant Johnston, his fellow servicemen and a few aircraft (including a Junkers and the USS Akron). Most of the scrapbook commemorates personal events in Myriam Lahaurine Johnston's life, such as her relations with family and friends, her wedding to H. W. Johnston, the birth and childhood of their daughter, Miriam, their home in Ohio and the family's travels to such places as Biarritz, Nice, Paris and Washington, DC. Also included are signed photos from Richard Evelyn Byrd and Lily Pons, as well as a signed letter from the latter.
Biographical / Historical:
Myriam Lahaurine met the American Sergeant Major H. W. Johnston during his service with the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I.
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
This collection consists of a copy of the ZRS-4 Ring Laying Commemorative Book, commemorating the laying of the master ring of the U.S. Navy Airship Akron ZRS-4.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a copy of the book commemorating the laying of the master ring of the U.S. Navy Airship Akron ZRS-4.
Arrangement:
Item level; collection contains just one item.
Biographical/Historical note:
In 1928 the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation signed contracts with the Bureau of Aeronautics to build two large fleet-type rigid airships designed expressly for strategic scouting work with US Fleet. These sister ships carried airplanes for fighter protection and for scouting. The first of the two was the USS Akron. NAS Lakehurst was homeport for the Akron between October 1931, when she was delivered to the station, and April 1933 when the Akron was lost off Barnegat Light with a heavy loss of life.
Provenance:
Unknown - found in collection, unknown, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0495
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.
