Artifact I’d give my ??? for: a burned calculator

Caught part of a PBS “History Detectives” installment hosted by hot babe Elyse Luray. Object was a height-speed calculator picked up by someone right after the SS Hindenburg disaster in Lakehurst NJ. I LOVE old mechanical computers but have only gotten a few so far, not really chasing them too actively. I’d give about all the change I could scrape up for this one.

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/hindenberg-artifact/

 

Amazing.
My mother saw the Hindenburg when it floated over the Netherlands. She was impressed, of course. It was referred to as a floating palace. So much more grand than your run-of-the-mill zeppelin.

 

where are the proofs ? scientific I mean.
lower scale is a tachymeter scale. unusual insofar as it is horizontally aligned and not round like on watches.

 

If you could restate your question I’ll try and answer, but first, did you download the transcript available from the linked page, that might help.

I’m not sure if you are asking how the device works, whether it is really the device I mentioned, or if it really came from Hindenburg. I didn’t really study the photos of the device but I think I could figure it out or ask one of my airplane pilot friends.

?

 

I read the whole pdf. besides speculations without prooves I don't see anything.
yes, ask your pilot friends. might be interesting what they think about this LZ item. clear pics would be nice as well.

 

What do you want proven?

 

everything. but if in your eyes that there are proves then we can stop it here and you don't have to ask your friends. if I was really interested I'd be in Friedrichshafen in no time and don't need to listen to gossip of a popular "science" show.

 

I saw the Goetz logo on it, and am familiar with them, they were of course a major supplier of optics to the German gov’t during early 19th C., have had dozens of their products. The private laboratory tests shown didn’t prove everything but the testing done showed paint, plastic, and burned portion were what I would call “consistent” with the alleged provenance, or IOW, none of the findings were inconsistent with Hindenburg scenario. The speed range available on the instrument is consistent with an airship but not ship or airplane. I think the full video presentation I saw was fairly convincing. Did you see the photos of the very similar device in the gondola of the sister airship? But I still haven’t tried to figure out exactly how it works.

This particular series actually seems to do a fairly good job of research. Another episode I liked was one where an explosive mine was invented to kill anyone attempting to rob a grave in which a mine was placed. I want one of those!

 

you mean C.P. Goerz of Berlin ?
there are mentioned two systems they measured speed . by letting drop a full waterbottle out of the window and measure the time till it hit the sea. and by measuring the distance from a loud whistle - probably working with a primitive receiver at one end and a person at the other end.

 

here are sharper photos. and some additional info.
https://www.airships.net/blog/history-detectives-hindenburg/

 

Well boo hoo! Thx for the additional info. I’m disappointed that HD didn’t use the one expert because he didn’t find supporting info. Well Elyse is still a hot babe, just not much of a scholar unfortunately. If I find an identical C.P. Goerz box somewhere I’ll try and buy it just to see exactly what it does.

Meanwhile my Zepplin collection consists of one plate about 10” diameter, no marks on the back at all. The scene in the background is Lake Constance and a famous old church, this area being where Graf (Count) Zepplin developed and tested his airships.

 

I’m interested in how recently C.P. Goerz-marked items were manufactured, I just don’t have that info. I looked at two pages of their products and ads on Eboo and noticed this one that the seller states is post-1938. He is silent regarding how he determined the date, so I’d need more info if I were going to buy it. I have no interest in that particular item, have already owned one of the same exact model, and resold it long ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-C-P-Go...078017?hash=item56b774e201:g:gYIAAOSwGh5a1e6m

 

your plate is probably not older than 1970s and a tourist item. shows Friedrichshafen with the two old churches - one Lutheran, one Catholic - , the lake and the Swiss mountains in the background.
the most beloved experience of mother's childhood was the sight of Friedrichshafen burning down in the night across the lake.
similar one in form:
http://www.stampcircuit.com/fr/stam...10479-sonstiges-zeppelin-zeppelin-memorabilia

 

the one offered on ebay is obviously one manufactured in the "austro-hungarian" Vienna branch. here they mention that they produced till the end of the war. so it could well be that it was used by the Hungarians and left in Finland.
https://www.meinbezirk.at/favoriten/c-lokales/favoriten-das-war-die-firma-goerz_a793416