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 Summary

This collection consists of material relating to Friedrich Wilhelm. "Willy" von Meister and his activities with the airship industries of Germany and the United States.

 Biographical / Historical

Friedrich Wilhelm "Willy" von Meister (1903-1978) was the representative of the Zeppelin organization's activities in the United States: Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH, American Zeppelin Transport, Inc., and Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, from 1928 until 1938. After the crash of the Hindenburg in 1937, he assisted Dr. Hugo Eckener, head of the Zeppelin organization, in his attempts to obtain helium from the United States for the company's airships.

 Identifier

NASM.1996.0002

Creator

von Meister, F.W. "Willy,", 1903-1978

Date

1925-1969

bulk 1934-1937

Provenance

Gerda Carmichael, Gift, 1995, NASM.1996.0002

Extent

0.05 Cubic feet (6 folders)

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of material relating to F. W. "Willy" von Meister and his activities with the airship industries of Germany and the United States. The collection includes Christmas cards, including one with a written note to von Meister from Thomas G. W. "Tex" Settle, USN, 1937; seventeen black and white photo prints and postcards of the Hindenburg and Hugo Eckener, the head of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin; five Hindenburg envelopes; eighteen Hindenburg baggage labels; a printed passenger list for the first crossing of the Hindenburg from Lakehurst, New Jersey to Frankfurt; newspaper and magazine articles on airships; a Maybach Motor Company brochure written by von Meister; and several letters. Also included are fifteen black and white photographs and two sets of postcards of the Dornier DO-X flying boat, and Dornier DO-X baggage labels.

Arrangement note

This collection has been arranged by general subject and content.

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

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

Hindenburg Memorabilia Collection [von Meister], Acc. 1996.0002, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Airships

Dornier Do X

Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg

Zeppelin LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Photographs

Publications

Printed ephemera

Christmas cards