US Navy observation balloon with U.S. NAVY lettering on envelope – Vintage Wall Art
(Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
Step back in time with US Navy observation balloon with U.S. NAVY lettering on envelope, a historic image rich in period detail. Drawn from the Snapshots of the Past archive, it is an authentic piece of documented history.
Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.
US Navy observation balloon with U.S. NAVY lettering on envelope
Order a print
Thank you. Your order went through, and a receipt is on its way by email.
Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal
Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.
Lighter-than-air craft gave the Navy a way to watch the sea from above long before aircraft carriers could do the job, and a balloon with "U.S. NAVY" painted across its envelope marks that service's early reliance on tethered observation. Such balloons hung from a winch on a ship or shore station, carrying an observer who could spot enemy vessels, submarines, or mines and phone the information down to the crew. Gas bags like this one were fragile and needed a steady supply of hydrogen or helium, so they were usually kept near the coast, where they gave the fleet an extra set of eyes. Looking at the lettering on the envelope, it is easy to see how plainly the Navy wanted its aerial work identified.
| Original scan | 3,114 × 4,207 px · prints to 10 × 14 in at 300 dpi |
|---|---|
| Reference | 09371uNavy FRSS balloon, |
More from the Ballooning collection
Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.
![[Observation kite balloon in air with basket (gondola) suspended below, U.S. Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, Virginia]](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/35/35bb5802bdfc-400.webp)
