AUTHENTIC SMALL PIECE OF AIRSHIP SHENANDOAH (ZR-1) AFTER CRASH SEPT. 3rd 1925

Description

AUTHENTIC
VERY SMALL
PIECE OF FABRIC FROM AIRSHIP SHENANDOAH AFTER IT CRASHED SEPTEMBER 3rd 1925
The United States airship ZR-1 was America's first homemade rigid dirigible.
Construction began at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia in 1920 but the airship was not completed until September 1923.
In October of 1923 the ZR-1 was christened SHENANDOAH, an Indian name meaning "Daughter of the Stars." Overnight America caught dirigible fever.
On September 2, 1925, the SHENANDOAH took off from Lakehurst, New Jersey, lifted by the helium in her twenty gas bags.
Her destination was Scott Field near St. Louis - but she never made it.
In the early morning of September 3, the airship was hit by a powerful line squall over Ava, Ohio.
She broke into several pieces killing fourteen.
What you are buying here is a small piece (3/8 inch by 1/4 inch) of one of the helium gas bags.
The piece you will receive is the actual one shown in the first two pictures.
It is made from the intestine of a cow because back in 1925 it was the only practical thing that could prevent helium from leaking.  The piece i
s NEWLY matted and has a description.
Also matted is a copy of a photograph showing the large tail section after it crashed.
It is from this tail section that the piece of gas bag was taken.
The matting is black and the over all size of mat is 8 inches by 10 inches so it will fit into any standard frame.
Comes with  COA including a copy of the notarized letter dated April 10, 1931 from Mike Ducar, the person who took the piece from the tail section.
The letter describes how he crossed a field and picked up the piece for a "souvenir. The affidavit is not only notarized but is signed by a third witness.
NOTE:  YOU ARE
NOT
BUYING THE LARGE PIECE SHOWN IN THE LAST PICTURE.  THIS LARGE PIECE IS WHERE THE PIECE YOU ARE BUYING CAME FROM.  YOU ARE BUYING THE SMALLER PIECE SHOWN IN THE FIRST TWO
PICTURES
.
A personal Note:
I grew up with a very great interest in airships. My father was an engineer at Goodyear Aircraft (later changed to Goodyear Aerospace) designing blimps for the Navy. He even got me up in the original Blimp "RANGER."
I have collected for 50 years and have pieces of every major airship ever flown. As I write this I am looking at many of them framed and hanging in my office.
Now that I am in my 70's I had to make a decision.
1. Keep them and someday have my children sell them perhaps to an antique dealer who may not realize what they are or maybe sell them in a garage sale.
2. Sell each piece complete on e-bay where just one person would appreciate each item, (by appreciate I mean look at the piece or hold it and dream for several moments about the ship and men as the airship was flying).
3. Divide each piece where many people could hold and appreciate a piece (yes a smaller piece but at least a piece).
You can see I picked choice three for the SHEANDOAH. I thought having many people enjoy a small piece was more valuable than one person having one bigger piece (the sum to me was less valuable than the parts).
Hope I am thinking right.
Shipping  FREE and is shipped in bubble envelope.
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