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Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
(GRAF ZEPPELIN.) Grzesinski, Albert. Im Zeppelin nach Amerika; Notizen aus dem Tagebuch des Preussisch Ministers des Innern. Typewritten manuscript journal in German documenting his passage aboard the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin's first transatlantic flight from Friedrichshafen to New York in October 1928. 131 single-page typed sheets, profusion of original photographs and real photo cards mounted and captioned in ink. Tall 8vo, 11x8 inches, full blue crushed morocco gilt, spine a little rubbed; leaves slightly toned, one photograph with a small chip (retained), ink gift inscription on front free endpaper. Vp, 1928
first-hand account of a major event in aviation history. Albert Grzesinski served as the Prussian Minister of the Interior from 1926 to 1930. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, Grzesinski was vocal in his opposition to Hitler and after the Nazi rise to power he was denaturalized and fled Germany. He settled in New York City in 1937 where he lived until his death in 1948.
In October 1928 Grzesinski had the unique opportunity to be amongst the twenty-one passengers aboard the Graf Zeppelin airship's first transatlantic flight. The flight departed Friedrichshafen, Germany on October 11th, 1928 and landed in Lakehurst, New Jersey on October 15th having taken 111 hours to complete. Grzesinski kept a diary of the entire experience, generally outlined in three segments: the trip to America on the Graf; touring New York City (where he mentions the tickertape parade given for the crew and passengers, Madison Square Garden, the Cotton Club and other Jazz Age city landmarks); and finally his return to Germany aboard the steamship "Berlin". The journal is illustrated throughout with original photographs and cards, many showing Grzesinski in the context of the ships' cabins either alone or in a group with fellow passengers and crew. One particular photograph places Grzesinski with his typist in the cabin of the "Berlin" on their return dictating to her as she transcribes what is easily imagined to be the present manuscript. The journal was published in Berlin in 1929 and copies are now scarce.
