Zeppelin!

In the early 20th century, the Zeppelin airship inspired a unique sense of awe. These phenomenal rigid, lighter-than-air craft - the invention of Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin (1838-1917) - approached the size of a small village. Although they moved slowly, there was no mistaking their exciting - or ominous - potential. Friends of the machine believed that it would revolutionize commerce, carry scientists to otherwise inaccessible places, and deliver bombs with great accuracy. Before the aeroplane proved its reliability and superior practicality - and before the fiery crash of the Hindenburg in 1937 - Zeppelins made a deep impression on the minds of Europeans, especially in Germany.