VERY FEW POSTAL items survived the Hindenburg and Titanic disasters, so devastating are fire and ice. Although crews salvaged a small percentage of Hindenburg’s mail, no Titanic mail survived the sinking. A few pieces of Titanic mail, posted before the ship’s departure from Queenstown, do exist. These Hindenburg and Titanic rarities are among philately’s great postal history treasures.
Hindenburg Disaster Card and Glassine
Hindenburg disaster card, 1937
Hindenburg disaster card glassine, 1937
Salvaged from the wreckage, the U.S. Post Office Department enclosed the fragile, charred remains in a glassine envelope, officially sealing it before delivery to the addressee. Postal officials salvaged only about 160 burned pieces of mail out of more than 17,000 pieces that had been onboard.
Hindenburg Disaster Cover
Hindenburg disaster cover, 1937
Loan from Dr. Edward and Joanne Dauer
Passenger Hermann Doehner posted this envelope onboard, addressed to himself. In Germany on business, he was returning home to Mexico City with his wife and three children. He and his daughter died in the disaster.
Hindenburg Disaster Cover
Hindenburg disaster cover, 1937
Loan from anonymous
A New York paquebot mark cancelled 176 salvaged unburned pieces of mail four days after the disaster. Having been stored in a protective, sealed container while awaiting postal service on the return flight, this uncancelled mail survived intact.
Burtis Dolan's Hindenburg Passenger Ticket
Courtesy Burtis J. Dolan family archive
Burtis J. “Bert” Dolan’s passenger ticket survived the final flight and disaster of the German zeppelin Hindenburg. Through the courtesy of the Burtis J. Dolan family archive, the ticket is now on exhibit.
Titanic Cover
Titanic cover, 1912
First-class passenger George E. Graham, a Canadian returning from a European buying trip for Eaton’s department store, addressed this folded letter on Titanic stationery. Destined for Berlin, the envelope was postmarked on the ship and sent ashore with the mail, probably at Cherbourg, France. The morgue ship Mackay-Bennett recovered Graham’s body.
Titanic Postcard
The picture side of the postcard shows a view of Olympic standing in for Titanic. The writer could have purchased it dockside or in the ship’s barber shop.
Loan from Dr. Edward and Joanne Dauer
Titanic postcard, 1912
Loan from Dr. Edward and Joanne Dauer
Signed “Love, Ugly” by an unknown passenger, this card addressed to “Miss Gwen” was postmarked aboard Titanic and sent ashore with the mail, probably at Queenstown, Ireland, the ship’s last port of call before heading westbound across the Atlantic.
Titanic Facing Slip
Titanic facing slip, 1912
Found on Oscar Scott Woody’s body nine days after Titanic’s sinking, this facing slip bears one of the clearest surviving strikes of the ship’s onboard postmark (”Transatlantic Post Office 7“). Clerks placed facing slips on bundles of mail to indicate their destination.
