{"product_id":"imperial-german-kaiser-wilhelm-and-graf-zeppelin-photo-postcard-c-1910","title":"Imperial German Kaiser Wilhelm and Graf Zeppelin Photo Postcard c. 1910","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is an original Imperial German photographic postcard titled “Kaiser Wilhelm und Graf Zeppelin,” translated as “Kaiser Wilhelm and Count Zeppelin.” Published during the late Kaiserreich, the card presents a formal portrait of the two men in winter military and civilian outerwear and belongs to the large body of contemporary photographic material documenting the German monarchy and the extraordinary public interest surrounding the development of Zeppelin airships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe printed caption across the upper portion reads “Kaiser Wilhelm und Graf Zeppelin.” The lower left is marked “Original-Aufnahme von Aug. Böcker,” translated as “Original photograph by Aug. Böcker.” At lower right appears “Rotophot Berlin,” identifying the Berlin photographic reproduction process or publisher attribution, together with the imprint “Verlag von Gustav Liersch and Co., Berlin S.W. 2067.” The number 2067 is the publisher’s card or series number.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe card dates to approximately 1910. Period archival records identify this same portrait as a photograph by Aug. Böcker from around that time, and surviving examples of the postcard are known to have been used in the years immediately preceding the First World War. The approximately 1910 dating is therefore consistent with both the publishing information and the historical context of the image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFerdinand Graf von Zeppelin had become one of the most celebrated figures in Germany by the opening years of the twentieth century. A former Württemberg cavalry officer, Zeppelin devoted himself to the development of rigid airships and founded the company that carried his name. His early experimental craft initially met with technical and financial difficulties, but successful flights transformed both Zeppelin and the airship into symbols of German engineering, aviation, and technological progress.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe German Emperor took a considerable interest in aviation and in the potential military significance of rigid airships. Zeppelin’s success occurred during a period in which Germany was investing heavily in new technologies, naval development, communications, and military aviation. Contemporary postcards depicting the Emperor alongside Graf Zeppelin therefore served not merely as personality portraits but also as expressions of national enthusiasm for the rapidly developing field of powered flight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1908 and 1909, Zeppelin had become a national celebrity following increasingly successful flights and the extraordinary public fundraising response that followed the destruction of LZ 4 at Echterdingen. The subsequent growth of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin and the introduction of passenger operations through DELAG helped establish the rigid airship as one of the most recognizable technological achievements of prewar Germany. Photographic postcards such as this example circulated widely during this period of intense public fascination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe postcard format is typical of early twentieth-century German photographic cards. The obverse is produced in monochrome with a deep dark background and softly graduated border framing the portrait. The reverse is unused and retains the printed postcard layout, including the horizontal dividing line, address guidelines, and outlined stamp box. There is no handwritten correspondence, postal cancellation, postage stamp, or other evidence that this example was mailed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition is very good overall. The photographic image remains sharp and well contrasted, with the printed title, photographer attribution, Rotophot marking, and Gustav Liersch publisher imprint all readily legible. The card shows only light age toning and minor handling wear, with no significant creasing, writing, postal damage, or major edge loss. The unused reverse remains particularly clean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an appealing original-period photographic postcard combining two important themes of Imperial German collecting: the German monarchy and the development of the Zeppelin airship. Its clearly identified photographer and publisher, strong portrait image, unused condition, and direct association with the pre-1914 enthusiasm for German aviation give it interest to collectors of Imperial German royalty, early aviation, Zeppelin history, and photographic ephemera.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50759436796143,"sku":"38-2791","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/SKU_38-2791_1.png?v=1789418368","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/imperial-german-kaiser-wilhelm-and-graf-zeppelin-photo-postcard-c-1910","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}