Description

Tritschler shows the Hindenburg, based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in flight during its first trip to South America. The photographer, who had been hired to document the voyage, used a Leica, a relatively new German 35 mm camera. Its small size and light weight allowed it to be handheld at many different angles and to be used in restricted, unstable places such as this engine compartment, which would have been quite difficult to photograph in flight with a bulkier camera requiring a tripod. One year later, while attempting to dock in New Jersey, the Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed. The accident extinguished confidence in the use of rigid airships for passenger travel.