Original Photograph and Handwritten Note – German Experimental Aircraft Concept, Peenemünde, 1937

Details

Description

Object report

title

original photograph and handwritten note – german experimental aircraft concept, peenemünde, 1937

object description

this object consists … Read more Object report

title

original photograph and handwritten note – german experimental aircraft concept, peenemünde, 1937

object description

this object consists of an original black-and-white photographic print accompanied by an original handwritten note in german, dated 19 may 1937. The two items are historically related and document an early conceptual study of an experimental aircraft / glider-type flying body, originating from the german aviation research environment prior to the second world war.

the photograph depicts a highly streamlined, wingless aerodynamic body, marked with german military insignia (balkenkreuz). The form does not correspond to any known production aircraft and strongly suggests an experimental fuselage or conceptual test object, likely created for aerodynamic or theoretical research purposes.

handwritten note (transcription & translation)

original german (transcription):

projekt – inlands
19.5.1937

luftschiff graf zeppelin
über dem stützpunkt peenemünde,
…
ein segelflugzeug (nur idee)


english translation:

project – internal
19 may 1937

airship “graf zeppelin”
above the peenemünde base,
…
a glider aircraft (idea only)

the phrase “(nur idee)” – “(idea only)” clearly indicates that the described object was conceptual in nature, not a completed or operational aircraft.

historical context

peenemünde was one of germany’s most important research centers in the 1930s, associated with experimental aviation, advanced aerodynamics, and early rocket development.

the date 1937 places the material in an early, pre-war research phase, when many experimental concepts existed only as studies or internal proposals.

personal notes and photographic documentation of this kind are extremely rare, as much non-official material was never formally archived or was later lost.

condition

photograph: original vintage print with visible age-appropriate wear, light staining, and natural patina.

handwritten note: original paper with hand-torn edges and oxidation marks; consistent with age and long-term storage.

overall condition is good to very good, considering the period.

authenticity

based on the paper, handwriting, photographic process, dating, and historical consistency, the object demonstrates a high degree of authenticity as an original late-1930s historical document.

collectible & curatorial value

this item is suitable for:

collectors of aviation and 20th-century technological history,

museum or archival collections,

curated design and historical exhibitions.

it represents a unique piece of early experimental aviation documentation, not a later reproduction.

provenance:
formerly in a european private collection; acquired on the vienna antiques market (austria). The object has been in europe for several decades.

we ship the item by ups or dhl\. See less