Snapshots of the Past

Blitzkrieg sky-writing. Sky-writing that spells a deadly message above London are the white streaks left by speeding aircraft – Antique Print

Blitzkrieg sky-writing. Sky-writing that spells a deadly message above London are the white streaks left by speeding aircraft — historic photograph
Blitzkrieg sky-writing. Sky-writing that spells a deadly message above London are the white streaks left by speeding aircraft. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(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

This historic photograph of Blitzkrieg sky-writing. Sky-writing that spells a deadly message above London are the white streaks left by speeding aircraft brings a moment of history to your wall. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Blitzkrieg sky-writing. Sky-writing that spells a deadly message above London are the white streaks left by speeding aircraft

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Those white streaks over London are not writing, though the title presents them as sky-writing that spells a deadly message. They are condensation trails left by aircraft flying at high speed through cold air. In 1940 such trails were a common sight over southern England during the Battle of Britain, when German bombers and fighters crossed the Channel in large formations. The title's play on "Blitzkrieg," or lightning war, points to the campaign that had overrun much of Western Europe that year, and it shows how quickly the public learned to read the sky as a sign of attack.

Medium1 photographic print.
Notes1940
SubjectsWorld War, 1939-1945--Air operations--German--England--London.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,096 × 3,294 px · prints to 14 × 11 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-178021

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