German observation balloon, 1st World War – Antique Print
![German observation balloon, 1st World War, [no date recorded on caption card] — historic photograph](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/e0/e0e5dfe8fcc6-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
A window into the past: German observation balloon, 1st World War, preserved in this historic photograph. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.
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.
German observation balloon, 1st World War
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.
German observation balloons, tethered aloft behind the front lines, were among the most useful tools of the First World War. Officers in the basket could watch enemy movements, direct artillery fire and report on trench positions far beyond what ground observers could see, and both sides relied on them heavily. Balloons like this one were also tempting targets, since fighter aircraft often attacked them, and crews sometimes had to escape by parachute. The caption card gives no date, so the exact moment is uncertain, but the photograph documents an everyday piece of German military equipment from the war.
| Created / published | [no date recorded on caption card] |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 photographic print. |
| Notes | No. A1161. In collection: German military activities during World War I. This record contains unverified, old data from caption card. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,536 × 1,153 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-113176 |
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.
![[Balloon ascension, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago]](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/f7/f77b6e639d7d-400.webp)
![[Crowd waiting for balloon ascension, World's Columbian Exposition,Chicago, Ill.]](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/08/086b18f4cc07-400.webp)
![[1st human balloon ascension; balloon with Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes above Paris. Nov. 1783]](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/a2/a2d9304a9fec-400.webp)
