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Skybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships

Step back in time and soar through the clouds with our captivating collection of historical airships.

Choose a picture from our collection for your Wall Art and Photo Gifts

Explore the fascinating history of aviation with this collection of old photos that feature famous airships like the R-100 and Zeppelins. Watch as these early aviation marvels soar through the heavens, their majesty and beauty evident. From the era of transatlantic travels to the pioneering days of rigid airship design, every image captures the spirit of exploration and ingenuity that characterised this period. Relive the thrill of the early aircraft enthusiasts who pushed the limits of human achievement by setting off on risky transcontinental voyages. These classic pictures provide a window into a time of exploration and adventure in the past, when airships were the height of luxury travel and technological innovation.

103 Items

Skybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R 101 Airship

R 101 Airship Collection
13 Items

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship R-101

Airship R-101
October 1929: Airship R101 passing over St Pauls Cathedral, London. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R-101 Airship in a hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire

R-101 Airship in a hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire
1929: The R101 airship in a hangar at Cardington in Bedfordshire. The R101 was 221 m (724 ft) long and had a gas capacity of 140 million litres (5 million cu ft)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Storm Clouds

Storm Clouds
1929: The British airship R-100 flies through a thick layer of cloud. She was scrapped after the crash of her sistership, the R-101, in 1930. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R 101 Airship

R 101 Airship
circa 1929: A broadside view of the Airship R101, at its mooring mast at Cardington, Bedford. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R101 Airship

R101 Airship
2nd October 1929: An R101 Airship in its hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire. (Photo by Puttnam /Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship R 101

Airship R 101
1929: R101, a British airship, which was built in 1929 and was 221 metres (724 feet) long. The airship had dining, sleeping and recreational facilities for 100 passengers

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Completed R100

Completed R100
HM Airship R100 nears completion at the Royal Naval Air Service Air Station near Howden in Yorkshire, November 1929. An extendable fire ladder is used to put the finishing touches to the linen fabric

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R101

R101
4th October 1930: R101 at its moorings in Cardington, Bedfordshire prior to its departure for India. It crashed en-route. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship

Airship
July 1919: The arrival of the R34 airship at Pulham. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship

Airship
17th October 1929: The tail-end section of the giant airship R101, riding on the mooring mast at Cardigan, Bedford. The R101 was part of a British government programme to develop civil airships

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Metal Airship

Metal Airship
Crowds gather to view the first all metal dirigible airship. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Fly! Airship! Fly

Fly! Airship! Fly
March 1919: Airship R33 during its take off for its maiden flight at an aerodrome in Barlow, Yorkshire. (Photo by R. Humphrey/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Zeppelin Over Berlin

Zeppelin Over Berlin
The Graf Zeppelin, the worlds most successful airship, flies over the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship Balloon

Airship Balloon
circa 1920: An observation balloon in the War Museum at Crystal Palace. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R-101 Mooring

R-101 Mooring
17th October 1929: An R101 airship on the mooring mast at Cardington, Bedford. (Photo by Puttnam /Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Monck Masons Airship

Monck Masons Airship
The Victoria, an early airship built by English aviator Thomas Monck Mason, 1843. American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship Illustration

Airship Illustration
airship, blimp, color, dirigible, high res, nostalgia, sky, transportation, travel, Airship, 87685321

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Henri Giffard's steam-powered dirigible by Louis Figuier

Henri Giffard's steam-powered dirigible by Louis Figuier
Henri Giffard, 1825-1882, 19th century, steam-powered, steam powered, dirigible, airship, aviation, Louis Figuier, Les Merveilles de la Science, engraving, vintage, archival, outdoor, day, flying

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Zeppelin and searchlights

Zeppelin and searchlights
zeppelin, dirigible, airship, World War I, aviation, air combat, flight, midair, flying, searchlights, illuminated, lit, 1910s, nobody, outdoor, night, vintage, archival, Airship, 92830988

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Postcard of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont's airship and Eiffel Tower

Postcard of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont's airship and Eiffel Tower
Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873-1932, aviation, aviator, Brazilian, airship, dirigible, Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, October 1901, 1900s, postcards, chromolithograph, vintage, archival, midair

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Cigarette card of British military dirigible i Secundus

Cigarette card of British military dirigible i Secundus
i Secundus, dirigible, British, military, airship, army, 1905, 1900s, aviation, flight, cigarette card, advertisement, text, words, chromolithograph, vintage, archival, flying, midair, outdoor, day

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Cartoon portrait of Alberto Santos-Dumont

Cartoon portrait of Alberto Santos-Dumont
cartoon, portrait, caricature, one person only, adult, African descent, Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873-1932, Brazilian, aviation, pioneer, sitting, half-lenth, airship, dirigible, number six, winner

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Henri Dupuy de Lome Navigable Balloon, First Design (October 1870) - 19th Century

Henri Dupuy de Lome Navigable Balloon, First Design (October 1870) - 19th Century
Henri Dupuy de Lome Navigable balloon first design date October 1870 from Magasin Pittoresque. Vintage etching circa mid 19th century

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Blimp

Blimp

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique image from British magazine: German Artillery practice

Antique image from British magazine: German Artillery practice

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship Falling

Airship Falling
1st July 1919: The R 34 falling over the City of London, July 1919. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: White zeppelin in the sky, lindau, germany

White zeppelin in the sky, lindau, germany
German:CB2, flying:CB2, clouds:CB2, sky:CB2, white:CB2, copy space:CB2, airship:CB2, daytime:CB2, view from below:CB1, transportation:CB2, nobody:CB1, Lindau:CB2, rigid:CB1, in flight:CB1, Airship

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique illustration: Air Baloon at night

Antique illustration: Air Baloon at night

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and his airship, Aero Park, Paris, France, 1901

Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and his airship, Aero Park, Paris, France, 1901
Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873-1932, Brazilian, aviator, airship, dirigible, Aero Park, Paris, 1901, portrait, France, Europe, one person with others, man, adult, outdoor, day vintage, archival

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: R38 Construction

R38 Construction
The construction of the rigid airship R38 in a large hangar at Messrs Short, Bedford, Bedfordshire

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Navy and Army antique historical photographs: German War Balloon

Navy and Army antique historical photographs: German War Balloon

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Henri Giffard's first steam dirigible balloon, September, 24 - 1852

Henri Giffard's first steam dirigible balloon, September, 24 - 1852
Illustration from 19th century

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: The dirigible aerostat with propeller and animated motor of M. Dupuy-de-Lome, February 2, 1872

The dirigible aerostat with propeller and animated motor of M. Dupuy-de-Lome, February 2, 1872
Illustration from 19th century

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: First female german flight with an aeroplan airship, built by Orville Wright

First female german flight with an aeroplan airship, built by Orville Wright
Illustration from 19th century

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Non-rigid airship flying 1879 over Germany by Georg Baumgarten

Non-rigid airship flying 1879 over Germany by Georg Baumgarten
Georg Baumgarten ( 22. Januar 1837 - 1884 ) System Baumgarten - Dr. Wolfert First flight at the end of 1879 in Germany A blimp, or non-rigid airship

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Downed Zeppelin

Downed Zeppelin
A German L21 Zeppelin sinks off the coast of Yarmouth, Norfolk, after having been shot down. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Cole's Aerial Vessel

Cole's Aerial Vessel
1887: Illustration of Cole's Aerial Vessel, an early airship, hovering over spectators, with an anchor dangling from the passenger cabin. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin inventor of rigid airships 1900

Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin inventor of rigid airships 1900 Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin was a German general

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Airship Over Manhattan

Airship Over Manhattan
An unspecified airship approaching The Pierre (left), a hotel in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, New York, circa 1955. (Photo by George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images)

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Blimp

Blimp
Engraving of Blimp

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Hydrogen balloon airship above the clouds

Hydrogen balloon airship above the clouds
Digital restored 19th century engraving from the literary magazine Le Voleur Illustre 1889-90 Paris, France

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique illustration: Zeppelin

Antique illustration: Zeppelin

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Henri Giffard's steam-powered dirigible

Henri Giffard's steam-powered dirigible
Henri Giffard, 1825-1882, 19th century, steam-powered, steam powered, dirigible, airship, aviation, engraving, vintage, archival, outdoor, day, flying, flight, midair, aviator, one person only, man

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique illustration: Zeppelin

Antique illustration: Zeppelin

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Old engraved illustration of Airships in the past

Old engraved illustration of Airships in the past
Copyright has expired on this artwork. From my own archives, digitally restored. 1) Montgolfier brothers' balloon (1783) 2) Giffard dirigible (1852) 3

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique photograph of British Navy and Army: German army emperor and empress visit display

Antique photograph of British Navy and Army: German army emperor and empress visit display

Background imageSkybound Chronicles: A Journey Through Vintage Airships: Antique illustration, applied mechanics: Air vehicles, Dupuy de Lome air balloon

Antique illustration, applied mechanics: Air vehicles, Dupuy de Lome air balloon



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