November 2, 1931. Washington, D.C. "Navy airship U.S.S. Akron over the Lincoln Memorial." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.

THE AKRON'S VISIT.

        The giant airship Akron arrived yesterday to salute the Capital on its first flight, after having been officially dedicated to Navy service on Navy Day. Accompanied by its older, slimmer sister, the Los Angeles, the Akron, bearing 108 men, circled over the city, dipped in salute to the White House, and gave Washingtonians their first chance to see the world's largest and newest dirigible. (Washington Post, 11.3.31)

        UPDATE: The aviation experts among us aver that the photo shows the USS Los Angeles, not the Akron. In which case the date would be November 2, 1931, when both airships overflew the capital.

August 19, 1932. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. "The Navy airship Akron appeared in the morning and after circling the city released several of her small fighting airplanes over Hoover Field. These were later drawn into the hangar constructed on the interior of the airship." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.

France circa 1915. "German tethered balloon being raised for observation purposes during the Champagne campaign (observation balloon being maneuvered through a field of haystacks by German soldiers in the Champagne region of France during World War I)." Gelatin silver print from the F.J.M. Rehse Archiv für Zeitgeschichte und Publizistik, München. View full size.

May 1942. Parris Island, South Carolina. "U.S. Marine Corps glider detachment training camp. A barrage balloon takes to the air under capable handling by a Marine Corps ground crew." Medium format negative from photos by Alfred Palmer and Pat Terry for the Office of War Information. View full size.

January 1943. "A blimp of the U.S. Navy is led onto the apron of an East Coast lighter-than-air station before taking off on a patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean." 4x5 nitrate negative, Office of War Information. View full size.

        UPDATE: This would seem to be one incarnation of Thomas Baldwin's "aerial rowboat" the California Arrow, which took riders aloft at fairs and carnivals in the early years of the century.

From 1910s San Francisco comes this young lady and her zaftig zeppelin. 5x7 inch glass negative, late of the Stanley and Blaisdell collections. View full size.

February 1930. Washington, D.C. "Army Airship C-41 lands on Mall and airmen, led by Brigadier General William J. Flood of the 19th Airship Company, place wreath at Lincoln Memorial, honoring Lincoln's Birthday." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

October 27, 1917. "Western Front (Belgium), Ypres Area -- an observation balloon about to ascend." Glass negative by James Francis Hurley. View full size.

May 1942. Continuing the series last seen here. "Parris Island, South Carolina. Special Marine units learning how to bed down a big barrage balloon." Photos by Pat Terry and Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size.

C-2 Army blimp makes record flight through fog and storm. Photographed upon arrival at Bolling Field. A powerful searchlight helped guide the craft through heavy fogs.

-- Washington Post, July 29, 1922

July 1922. Washington, D.C. "C-2 dirigible at Bolling Field." The mystery aircraft first seen here. A few months later it met a fiery end in a hangar explosion in Texas. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

UPDATE: The photo is from July 1922. The original caption:

"Army dirigible C-2 at Bolling Field." More here.

Washington, D.C., or vicinity in what looks to be the 1920s. Who can put a name to this unidentified flying object? 4x5 glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C. "Lt. W.L. Richardson, 9/5/25." Walter Richardson, Navy photographer who survived the crash of the airship USS Shenandoah three days earlier. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

"The Hindenburg over Boston Common, 1936." Sunday marked the 75th anniversary of the German airship's explosion at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Medium format acetate negative by Leslie Jones. Boston Public Library. View full size.

This image is part of my grandfather John Baker's "warbook" from World War II. The likely date of this image is August 15, 1944 according to notes written in the Warbook. According to the US Coast Guard ship history, the likely location for this is Baie de Cavalaire. This image was taken by Dale Rooks, as seen by his signature in the lower right. Dale Rooks and John Baker were both about the USS Duane, which was a Coast Guard cutter ship. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Goodyear Blimp at Washington Air Post." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.