You can set your dieselpunk story in Gotham or Metropolis, Librium or Antarctica. You can build the most incredible structures and fill the streets and hangars with every kind of weird machines. The sky is the limit! But you need something more: the atmosphere. No matter how optimistic you are, the genre simply cannot do without a bit of darkness. Stylish darkness. So, what about Noir?

We won’t bore you with academic definitions. Just two quotes from a highly readable TV Tropes article:

The Anti-Hero is the most common protagonist of the Noir — a man alienated from society, suffering an existential crisis. Frequently portrayed as a disillusioned, cynical police officer or private-eye and played by a fast-talking actor, the Anti-Hero is no fool and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He faces morally ambiguous decisions and battles with a world that seems like it is out to get him and/or those closest to him.

The setting is often a large, oppressive city (filmed in dark and dusky conditions to create a moody atmosphere), with Mexico often playing a big role. Familiar haunts include dimly-lit bars, nightclubs filled with questionable clientele (including, the Gayngster) whom the lead may intimidate for information, gambling dens, juke joints and the ubiquitous seedy waterfront warehouse. At night in the big city, you can bet the streets are slick with rain, reflecting streetlights like a Hopper painting. Most of the characters (including the lead) are cynical, misanthropical and hopeless all the way through the film, and never find true redemption.

Peter Lorre in ‘M’ (1931). Director: Fritz Lang

Desolation. Suspense. Dark air electrified with danger and sin. Shady spots lost between back alleys. Strong drinks and heavy smoke. Dim lights. Charcoal coats and sharkskin suits. Black gunmetal. False friends. Ladies you never can trust… Don’t get paranoid. And if you do, remember: even paranoids have enemies. They are following your steps. Now!

Speaking of proto-Noir, one cannot but mention a Fritz Lang masterpiece, ‘M’. But there are at least two prewar movies very well worth a mention:

The Invisible Man (1933, above) and Port of Shadows (1938, below)

Hollywood quickly adopted the Old World techniques and set the new standards for Noir, producing a score of all-time classics:

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Murder, My Sweet (1944, above and below)

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Notorious (1946)

Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Out of the Past (1947)

Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth in The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

Rita Hayworth in Gilda (1946)

Joseph Cotten in The Third Man (1949)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The Film Noir influence was strong enough to expand beyond the silver screen. A lot of George Hurrell photographs are pure Noir. And there are modern photographers who are trying to recreate the atmosphere – take a look at this appropriately named album, for example.

Film Noir is, and will always be a source of inspiration – for film directors and photographers, graphic artists and designers. It is as attractive in 2012 as it was in 1946:

Vogue 1 by Stefan (see the artist’s gallery @ DPE)

And how can we say goodbye without a single moving picture? After all, it’s Film Noir!

Have a nice weekend!

Dieselpunk is proud to present The 19XX Organization.

Somewhere in the 20th century…

not long after the end of the Great War, those who were capable of hearing it, received a revelation… another Great War was coming. This coming war would push the limits of technology, split the atom to create the power of a small star, and bring together forces more evil than the world has ever known. That this war would happen was man’s fatal destiny, but the outcome of the war and the details of it were not as clear. A weak League of Nations banded together to form a group. A group capable of doing what those countries could not. A group of adventurers, explorers, and scientists from every allied country to search the globe and fight a battle far from the public eye. This group is The 19XX, all the public has been told is that they are fighting for all of the good in humanity to survive the nineteen hundreds and beyond.

19XX two-page spread

Their mission is to track down every powerful relic, every modern and undiscovered weapon, and every magic incantation ever uttered on the earth’s crust, because the forces of evil responsible for the next Great War would be searching for the very same thing. Nothing in the realm of the tangible or intangible is off limits when the fate of the entire world is at stake.

The 19XX is a brainchild of Paul Roman Martinez.

A brief introduction – in his own words:

I am sr. graphic designer/web designer currently based out of Ventura, CA. My degree is in communications with an emphasis on computer media with a minor in history. I have been doing graphic design, web work, and illustration for a long time, so I decided to kind of combine all of those things as well as my love of history into this dieselpunk themed comic.

Mr. Martinez doesn’t limit himself to comic books. Let’s see a few examples of his art:

But the artist’s opus magnum is certainly the 19XX series continuously published as a webcomic since 2009.

The first 19XX book, Rise of the Black Faun, is sold out, and now the second is underway – Montezuma 1934. If you want to support the author (and to get a signed copy of this self-published volume, probably with some personal bonus or two) please proceed to a Kickstarter page.

We wish Mr. Martinez every possible and impossible success. Keep up the good work, Paul!

Francisco Salamone (1897-1959) was an Italian-Argentine architect who lived and worked in Argentina, built in just four years, between 1936 and 1940, more than 60 buildings in 25 municipalities of the Province of Buenos Aires.
Monumental Art Deco buildings, including cemeteries, municipalities, slaughterhouses, squares and bridges.
They were forgotten until recent years and today they are revalued. (Source)

Guaminì – Municipality building by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

It’s hard to define the style of Salamone – maybe it’s a very special kind of Art Deco, influenced by Italian Futurism, maybe “monumental modernism” label suits it better. Anyway, this architect (you can read more about him on Dieselpunks.org) built a perfect setting for a Dieselpunk story, dark or bright, Ottensian or Piecraftian.

Let’s enter this strange world of municipal edifices, slaughterhouses and cemeteries.

A fragment of a cemetery sculpture by Ignacio Fretes @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Colonel Pringles by arq.mov @ Flickr

Pavement, Laprida by Animal Plamet @ Flickr

Municipality building, Tornquist by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Cemetery, Tornquist by Animal Plamet @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Balcarce by miglesias 1964 @ Flickr

Municipality building, Rauch by arq.mov @ Flickr

Angel Exterminator, Azul cemetery, by ceci n’est pas un flickr @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Tres Lomas by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Municipality building, Vedia by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Cemetery, Laprida by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Guaminì by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Municipality building interior, Laprida by arq.mov @ Flickr

Bell, Azul cemetery by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Colonel Pringles by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Municipality building, Vedia by Animal Plamet @ Flickr

Portal Parque, Azul by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Plaza, Laprida by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

City Market, A. Gonzales Chavez by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Untitled by Ignacio Fretes @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Chillar by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Municipality building, Pellegrini by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Cemetery, Azul by suripatagonia @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Salliquelo by Pierre (ex biolucasbas) @ Flickr

Municipality building, Colonel Pringles bt Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Alberdi by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Vedia by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Slaughterhouse, Tres Lomas by Walter E. Kurtz @ Flickr

Untitled by Ignacio Fretes @ Flickr

Untitled by Ignacio Fretes @ Flickr

All images featured on Flickr Francisco Salamone Pool

Dieselpunk Encyclopedia is happy to present: Tim Huhn and his Art Deco Series.

On the Just Looking Gallery website there is a short info about the artist:

After graduating from the prestigious California College of Arts and Crafts with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and Illustration Huhn worked as a commercial illustrator for companies such as Disney, Universal Studios, Sony & Mattel. After leaving Los Angeles and the commercial world of art, Huhn began to develop a body of fine art while living on the Central Coast of California. Huhn’s experience as an illustrator has enabled him to work in a number of mediums and styles including photorealism and art deco.

Dawn of a New Age by Tim Huhn

We can add something:Tim Huhn’s artwork bears more than a passing resemblance to the famous WPA murals. It’s fun to see a modern artist who, just like his idealistic forerunners in 1930s, is not afraid of figurative art. An artist whose creations are full of positive spirit.

Well, not ALL creations: in our postmodernist age, you can’t do without some irony. And (like in 1930s) you can’t completely ignore the dark side of life.

Rage Against the Machine by Tim Huhn

We know some critics who would happily label Huhn’s Art Deco Series as ‘totalitarian art’. It’s time to ask them: are you serious? And if you are, why SO serious? Can you name a regime which needs and inspires such kind of art today, in 2012? And if you can, please explain how this regime can use the art of Tim Huhn. North Korea doesn’t need him, that’s for sure.

A Union of Promise by Tim Huhn

So, let’s celebrate the free choice of a free artist – and enjoy his version of Deco.

Freedom 26th Anniversary Poster by Tim Huhn

In the Presence of Greatness by Tim Huhn

Fortitude 26th Anniversary Poster by Tim Huhn

Wings of the Future by Tim Huhn

Integrity 26th Anniversary Poster by Tim Huhn

Prevail 26th Anniversary Poster by Tim Huhn

Summer by Tim Huhn

Autumn by Tim Huhn

Winter by Tim Huhn

Spring by Tim Huhn

Images: Just Looking Gallery, Tim Huhn page

A few months ago, we did our best to furnish your Dieselpunk setting with 1910s artifacts. Not Diesel Era yet but certainly not Steam Age. How should we call this period – Edwardian? Maybe, but King Edward VII left this world on May 6, 1910. Proto-Diesel? Too pompous. Let’s agree on a somewhat less spectacular but chronologically correct term – Transition. A bridge between two great eras, embracing old and new aesthetics and ideas.

Today, we’d like to celebrate Speed and Power. For example, the car above, the Blitzen Benz, is powered by a 21.5-litre 200hp engine. On April 23, 1911, Bob Burman – remember the guy with goggles? – piloted it to an average of 228.1 kilometres per hour (141.7 mph) over a full mile at Daytona Beach, a record that would not be surpassed until 1919.

Burman’s Benz wasn’t unique. Actually, there were six “lightning cars”, the first built as early as in 1909. Probably it looked a bit less impressive, but its performance was awesome.

On November 9, 1909, French racer Victor Hémery of set a record with an average speed of 202.7 kilometres per hour (126.0 mph) over a kilometer.

A rival of the Blitzen Benz, the Fiat S.76, was nicknamed “The Beast of Turin”. The Italian engineers came up with a monumental overhead valve engine of 1,730ci (28,353cc) that produced its 300bhp at 1,800rpm, yet still employed just four cylinders. The engine was so tall the driver had to almost peer around the edge of the hood, but to aid aerodynamics, it was extremely narrow.

The S76 was dispatched to Britain’s Brooklands circuit where it was put through its paces by intrepid factory driver Pietro Bordino. After a subsequent journey on public roads, it thundered to a best speed of 116mph (187kph) at Saltburn Sands, Middlesborough — setting the record for the fastest flying mile time.

Fiat was satisfied, but Prince Boris Sukhanov, a wealthy Russian, was hooked on the enormous vehicle. He is thought to have acquired one of the two cars made, but too timid to drive it himself, he sponsored a record run with French driver Arthur Duray at Ostend, Belgium.

It was said to have reached 137mph (220kph), but suspect timing equipment and bad weather prevented two runs within an hour — a requirement for a world record qualification. Sukhanov’s team spent a further six weeks trying in late 1913 before admitting defeat. (Source)

Another racer, the Golden Submarine, was built by Fred Offenhauser and Harry Miller for Barney Oldfield back in 1917. The most interesting and noticeable feature is its streamline aluminum body.

This forerunner of the famous Miller 1920s and 1930s cars was powered by a 4,7 liter 4-cylinder aluminum alloy engine which developed 136hp and failed for a few times, but still completed 54 races with 20 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds.

The Golden Submarine is arguably the first streamlined circuit racing car. Here we see the dawn of a new age of technological advancement, yet the cage-like stone guards and skinny balding tires remind us how primitive the vehicle really was.

Oldfield has the toughened, cigar-chomping look that speaks to the hardscrabble existence of many drivers at the time, who lived from race to race on starting money and worked on their own cars. (Source)

Want something more street-wise but still powerful? You’ve got it, another Benz, a 1910 Priz Heinrich-wagen:

Not radical enough? OK, we’ve got a real bomb from Italy – a 1914 A.L.F.A. 40/60HP Castagna Siluro Ricotti:

A.L.F.A. will evolve into Alfa Romeo, Castagna is one the finest coachbuilder’s ateliers ever, Siluro stands for … er, not a bomb but a torpedo, and Ricotti was the guy who designed this fantastic vehicle.

The Siluro used a serial-produced chassis of a luxury model. The top speed was 139kph.

Besides, there was an open-top version!

Speaking of early streamlining we simply can’t ignore McKeen railcars powered by straight-six  internal combustion engines.

The cars were built between 1905 and 1917 by McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, Nebraska for the US, Australian, Mexican and Cuban railways. Most, although not all, McKeen cars had the distinctive “wind-splitter” pointed aerodynamic front end and rounded tail.

The porthole windows were also a McKeen trademark, adopted allegedly for strength after the 7th production car. To see great pictures of a preserved McKeen railcar, click here.

Sea travel… The first ocean-going ship in the world to be propelled solely by diesel (no sail or turbines) is already here. Meet the Selandia.

She was built at Burmeister & Wain Shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark, and launched on 4 November 1911. On February 1912, she started her first journey from Copenhagen to Bangkok.

Selandia was designed for cargo and passenger carriage. Tonnage: 6,800 dwt; 4964 GRT; Length: 370 ft (112.8 m); Beam: 53 ft (16.2 m); Installed power: 2 x eight-cylinder, four-cycle, 1,250 hp diesel engines; Propulsion: twin-screw; Speed: 12 knots. Note the absence of a funnel; instead, smoke from her engines escaped through the front mast!

The ship, sold to Norway in 1936 and then to Finland, (1940) wrecked in 1942 after 30 years of service. In 1962, Danish Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating Selandia‘s 50th Anniversary.

From the sea – up to the sky! Who said that passenger air service was invented in 1920s? Don’t think these ladies are time travelers – they travel on a zeppelin:

Does the name DELAG sound familiar? The world’s first passenger airline, DELAG (Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft, or German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd) was established in 1909 as an offshoot of the Zeppelin Company.

While most of the early flights were sightseeing tours, in 1919 the DELAG airship Bodensee began scheduled service between Berlin and southern Germany; the flight from Berlin to Friedrichshafen took 4-9 hours, compared to 18-24 hours by rail. Bodensee made 103 flights and carried almost 2,500 passengers, 11,000 lbs of mail, and 6,600 lbs of cargo.

Between 1910 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914, DELAG zeppelins carried over 34,000 passengers on over 1,500 flights, without a single injury.  Of course there were accidents – although nothing to compare with the Hindenburg disaster:

The majority of the passengers were given free flights to publicize the zeppelin industry (especially members of German royalty, military officers, aristocrats, government officials, and business leaders), but DELAG also carried 10,197 paying passengers before having to cease operations with the beginning of the war. (Visit airships.net to learn more).

And in 1919, you already could buy a plane ticket for your travel from London to Paris or Amsterdam – like these passengers of the Dutch ELTA company:

For a dessert, some early jazz and aeronautical music:

Only recently we discovered a modern artist who perfectly combines Diesel Era artifacts with today’s attitude. His artwork won’t seem out of place in a 1930s club or post office or gallery. But is it old-fashioned? Just well-rooted.

Swimming by Robert LaDuke (2012)

A short note from Bonner David Gallery website:

LaDuke’s narrative paintings are a combination of memories, dreams and everyday life, and as such his work remains open-ended. Paintings which tell a complete story from beginning to end are not compelling to him. He puts a lot of personal iconography into each piece, but does not wish to dictate a strict narrative.

LaDuke prefers viewers find their own interpretation of his work. Ideally, LaDuke’s desire is to paint works which create more questions than answers. Viewers are free to imagine multiple meanings in his work…

We can add something: Robert LaDuke’s post-modernism has a lot in common with 1920s and 1930s metaphysical art. The objects – all these aircraft, locomotives, skyscrapers, cars and trailers – are recognizable and realistic but the atmosphere is surreal, enigmatic, unpredictable.

Let’s open our eyes and turn our imagination on.

Shortcut by Rober LaDuke (2006)

Race by RobertLaDuke (2008)

Nature by Robert LaDuke (2008)

Big Stick by Robert LaDuke (2008)

Blind Spot by Robert LaDuke (2008)

Top Speed by Robert LaDuke (2008)

Hollywood by Robert LaDuke (2008)

Snowball by RobertLaDuke (2009)

Winter by Robert LaDuke (2009)

Tallest by Robert LaDuke (2010)

California by Robert LaDuke (2010)

East West Bank by Robert LaDuke (2010)

Redwood by Robert LaDuke (2010)

Sprinkle by Robert LaDuke (2010)

Overland by Robert LaDuke (2010)

Pruning by Robert LaDuke (2010)

Hollywoodland by Robert LaDuke for LA Art Fair (2011)

Finish Line by Robert LaDuke (2011)

Wake by Robert LaDuke (2011)

Mantle by Robert LaDuke (2011)

Rain by Robert LaDuke (2011)

Mercury by Robert LaDuke (2012)

Commuter by Robert LaDuke (2012)

© All rights reserved by Robert LaDuke

All images linked to their respective pages on the artist’s Flickr photostream

A symbol, a trope, a hallmark, a cliché – call it by any other name, the airship is inseparable from Dieselpunk. Our alternative skies are full of dirigibles, real and unreal, peaceful transports and dangerous battleships. These giants can be seen as the ultimate expression of Diesel Era spirit and, at the same time, of contemporary retro-futuristic vision.

LZ129 Hindenburg. May 1937

The most famous airship career ended in a disaster. But the Lakehurst explosion was probably the saddest episode in a long chain of disasters, and the Hindenburg was the largest and most luxurious of many Interbellum airships, some of them well forgotten. Let’s see what we can incorporate into our Dieselpunk setting.

Look at this picture taken in 1936:

LZ129 Hindenburg on her inaugural flight between Freidrichshafen and Lakehurst

In the upper right part of the field there is another airship, USS Los Angeles, née LZ126. Built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH in 1923-1924 and handed over to the United States as a part of war reparations, she has a distinction of being the first German-built dirigible to cross the Atlantic. The Los Angeles (ZR-3) served with the U.S. Navy until 1939.

But the LZ126 was not the first zeppelin built in Germany after WWI. In 1919 and 1921, two civil airships, the Bodensee and Nordstern, were commissioned by DELAG for passenger flights between Friedrichshafen, Berlin and Stockholm.

Wind tunnel testing of design for LZ120 Bodensee. Via Mr. Yuri Gagarin @ Flickr

The first one entered service, the second made her maiden flight just in time to be seized by the Allied Control Commission. Both were ceded to victorious powers and renamed: the Bodensee upon arrival to Rome became Esperia, the Nordstern received a French name, Méditerranée.

French Navy airship Dixmude, ca. 1923. Jean Duplessis collection

The French already had the world’s largest airship, ex-German LZ114/L 72 renamed Dixmude. Her service was short: on December 21, 1923, she was lost with all hands (44-man crew) between Sicily and Tunisia.

R34, the first airship to make a round-trip flight across the Atlantic. Via old school paul @ Flickr

In the meanwhile, the Britons continued to build their own airships, making good use of the captured German technology. Here is the unsung and short-lived R80 designed by Barnes Wallis and HB Pratt:

The R80 airship at Barrow in Februrary 1920 via Plaxton Fan @ Flickr

Too small for her intended airliner role, she has a brief service as a crew trainer, then her airframe was used for destructive tests on components and she was finally dismantled in 1925 after 4 years, having flown for a total of 73 hours.

In the meanwhile, a new airship power was emerging – the United States of America. Prior to developing their own designs, the U.S. Navy used foreign-built airships.

USS Roma (originally T34), the world’s largest semi-rigid airship. Purchased from the Italian government in 1921. Crashed during test flights on February 21, 1922

British-built R38. She was bought in October 1919, but crashed in 1921 before the U.S. Navy could take delivery of her and did not officially receive its US designation, though she was painted in accordance of its planned Navy designation. The U.S. Navy Archive via lazzo51 @ Flickr

In 1924, with the arrival of LZ126, the Navy finally had a reliable large airship, capable of long-range transport and reconnaissance missions. Short before that, the first US-built rigid airship, the Shenandoah, started her naval service.

USS Shenandoah moored to USS Patoka. Image via airships.net

On September 3, 1925, on its 57th flight, Shenandoah was caught in a storm over Ohio and lost. 14 of the crew, including her commanding officer, Commander Zachary Lansdowne – were killed. The crash was a major setback for the US airship program, advocated by Rear Admiral William A. Moffett.

At the same time, Italy started to build a series of semi-rigid airships designed by Gen. Umberto Nobile. The first of the series, N-1, was made available to Amundsen Polar Expedition. Renamed Norge, with Nobile at the controls and Italian crew, the airship reached the North Pole on May 12, 1926.

Norge – the first aircraft to fly over the polar ice cap between Europe and America. Via :ray @ Flickr

Two years later, Nobile’s own arctic flight on the Italia, an enlarged and improved version of the Norge, ended in a crash.

Italia en route to the Pole. Stopover at Stolp, Germany (Bundesarchiv)

An unprecedented international rescue effort helped to save most of the crew. There were casualties among the rescuers, too – Roald Amundsen who flew on a Latham 47 seaplane to search for his Italian friend, disappeared together with the crew of five French Navy servicemen. It is believed that the plane crashed in fog, and that Amundsen was killed in the crash, or died shortly afterwards. His body was never found.

Umberto Nobile survived but failed to receive new funds from the Fascist leadership. In 1931, he went to the Soviet Union where he worked until 1936, helping to develop semi-rigid airships. Some Soviet designs, most notably the V-5 and V-6 dirigibles, were obviously influenced by Nobile N-series.

Vassily Kuptsov. Dirigible. 1933

The airship shown above is the ill-fated CCCP B-5 (USSR V5). Built in 1933, she was dismantled in 1934 – her ‘envelope’ was leaking and generally unreliable. While a new ‘envelope’ development has been in progress, a lightning struck hangar near Moscow where parts of the dirigible were stored. Everything went down to ashes, not only cases with B-5 parts, but her sistership B-4 (also dismantled) and a brand-new B-7 as well.

The Dirigible Memorial erected at the burial site of 13 crewmen perished in the crash of the SSSR-V6 OSOAVIAKhIM (February 13, 1938). In October 1937, the V6 under command of Ivan Pan’kov set a world record for airship endurance of 130 hours 27 minutes, beating the previous record set by the  Graf Zeppelin.

Later Soviet design – the Pobeda (Victory) was built in 1944 and later used to transport cargo, mainly hydrogen for balloons used to train paratroopers, on short routes from 20 to 500 km. The Pobeda crashed on 29 January 1947, killing her crew of three airmen.

Back to Germany. On September 18, 1928, LZ127 Graf Zeppelin, the future Diesel Era icon, made her first flight. Since then, it was a success story: nine years of sterling service, over a million miles flown on 590 flights, thousands of passengers and hundreds of thousands of pounds of freight and mail, fast and safe.

LZ127 Graf Zeppelin & Dornier Superwal. 1928

To commemorate the Graf Zeppelin premiere, Prussian State Mint struck a medal with two profiles:

Zeppelin medal, 1928. Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin and Dr. Hugo Eckener, the manager of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin and the LZ127 commander

Famous promotional photographs:

The Graf Zeppelin, dining room

The Graf Zeppelin cabin

Next year, on December 16, another giant airship took off – the British R100 built by a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong for commercial use on British Empire routes. In July 1930, the R100 made her Transatlantic flight, reaching the Canadian mooring mast at the airport in Saint-Hubert, Quebec in 78 hours having covered the great circle route of 3,300 mi (5,300 km) at an average speed of 42 mph (68 km/h).

R100 in Toronto. Via Kemon01 @ Flickr

The airship stayed at Montreal for 12 days and over 100,000 people visited the airship each day she was there, and a song was composed by La Bolduc to commemorate, or rather to make fun of, the people’s fascination with R100. She also made a 24-hour passenger-carrying flight to Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara Falls while in Canada. The R100 departed on her return flight on 13 August, reaching Cardington after a 57½ hour flight.

R100 remembered in 1936. Via Smile Moon @ Flickr

The other British Airship, Air Ministry-designed R101, made her maiden flight a bit earlier, on October 14, 1929. She received her Airworthiness Certificate nearly a year later, and on October 5 crashed over France on her first scheduled overseas voyage, killing 48 (incl. Lord Thomson, the Air Minister). This effectively put an end to all airship aspirations in Great Britain. The Imperial Airship Scheme, developed and advocated by Thomson, was canceled.

Earlier, British Military experimented with airship-borne fighter planes. The idea of a flying aircraft carrier arised some serious thoughts stateside, and on October 31, 1929, the construction of the first carrier airship started in Akron, OH. The ship, appropriately named Akron (Navy designation ZRS-4,) entered service in October 1931. She carried four Sparrohawk biplane fighters.

USS Akron at NAS Sunnyvale, June 1932 (William T. Larkins collection via Telstar Logistics @ Flickr)

On April 4, 1933, Akron was lost over the stormy Atlantic. The accident left 73 dead (incl. Rear Admiral Moffett,) making it the deadliest air crash up to that time.

In a couple of months the U.S. Navy received a replacement: Akron‘s sistership Macon, built for the Pacific Ocean service. She carried five Sparrohawks:

(via fcarvallo @ Flickr)

On April 12, 1935, Macon was severely damaged and lost off the California coast. Most of her crew was saved. Together with her sistership, she was the largest helium-filled airship ever built.

Less famous and much more successful was the ZMC-2, world’s only successfully-operated metal-skinned airship.

ZMC-2 at Lakehurst, January 1935. Via RyanCrierie @ Flickr

Built by the Aircraft Development Corporation of Detroit in 1929, she was operated by the U.S. Navy until 1941. Nicknamed “The Tin Airship”, the ZMC-2 was constructed out of Alclad, an aluminum alloy clad with a very thin layer of pure aluminum. The Navy dismantled her after 752 flights (2265 hours of flight time).

Maybe we should dedicate a special gallery to the U.S. Navy blimps and their WWII service. Right now, there is one more rigid airship to be mentioned – the LZ130 Graf Zeppelin II.

LZ130 and her commander Captain Sammt. Via lazzo51 @ Flickr

Commissioned in September 1938, more than a year after the Hindenburg disaster, she never entered the transcontinental passenger service. Instead, she was used for propaganda flights over Germany and recently annexed Sudetenland. In Summer 1939, the Graf Zeppelin II was sent on an espionage flight which wasn’t a success.

In April 1940 Hermann Goering, a renowned zeppelin-hater, ordered to dismantle the LZ130 together with her namesake, the retired LZ127. Zeppelin hangars in Frankfurt were destroyed by explosives on May 6 the same year, exactly three years after the Hindenburg was lost.

Now, some airship art:

Airship by RAM (Ruggero Alfredo Michahelles). 1927

Post Office mural by Peppino Mangravite. 1937

In Three Days to South America by Jupp Wiertz. 1936

And some airship people:

Dr. Hugo Eckener. Via micky the pixel @ Flickr

Umberto Nobile and Titina. Don’t laugh: the little dog accompanied her master to the Pole in 1926 and survived the Italia disaster in 1928. Via AirSpace Blog (Smithsonian)

Russian airship crewmen (left to right) – Nikolai Gudovantsev, Ivan Obodzinsky, Ivan Pan’kov and Vladimir Ustinovich. 1933 (E.M. Oppman archive)

Sir Barnes Wallis by Alfred Egerton Cooper, 1942 (National Portrait Gallery)

Rear Admiral William A. Moffett

Today, we are proud to present Waldemar Kazak, an illustrator from Tver, Russia. Mr. Kazak is very active in the media. There are just a few dieselpunk-related works in his portfolio, but quantity doesn’t really matter: Mr. Kazak is a house name in the diesel crowd and his art is appreciated by the dieselheads all over the globe. Here are some paintings, in chronological order – from 2008, when his DeviantArt gallery was discovered by dieselpunk community, through 2012.

Monster House by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Dystopian dieselpunk can be fun. It is possible to turn horror into a cartoon. And humor can provoke serious thoughts without being too weird or too bitter.

School of Robots by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Angriff by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Flyer and Skeletons by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Broken Frame by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Go South by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Sky Battle by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Old Factory by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

U-Bahn 2 by Waldemar Kazak (2008)

Last Route by Waldemar Kazak (2009)

Captain Franky by Waldemar Kazak (2009)

Bad Moon by Waldemar Kazak (2011)

Aircar by Waldemar Kazak (2011)

Writers and Proof-Reader by Waldemar Kazak (2012)

Author’s Website ♦ Author’s Blog ♦ Author’s DeviantArt Gallery

Diesel Era was the golden age of speed records. Every new achievement instantly sparked a need to achieve more. The pace of progress was breathtaking: in 1900, 100 miles per hour sounded like science-fiction; by 1910, it was an already broken limit; in early 1920s, new sleek aircraft reached a 200mph mark; in 1930s, there were cars running at 300mph and floatplanes (yes, floatplanes!) hitting 400. Everything moved faster – not only automobiles and aeroplanes but also trains, passenger liners and warships.

On September 13, 1931, Flt Lt. George Stainforth in the Supermarine S.6B broke the world air speed record reaching 407.5 mph (655.67 km/h).

Of course, it’s not a world records list. Just a gallery for your entertainment and inspiration. But believe us, there is a lot to see!

Curtiss R2C biplane. On November 4, 1923, Alford J. Williams piloted it at a speed of 266.59mph (429.02 km/h), an official world record.

On March 30, 1928, Italian pilot Mario di Bernardi established a new world speed record of 318.624mph (512.76 km/h), flying a Macchi M.52bis. Major di Bernardi was the first pilot to fly faster than 300 m.p.h., or 500 km/h.

On September 10, 1929, Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth flew a Gloster VI over a measured mile course for a top speed of 351.3 mph and a ratified world absolute speed record, averaged over four runs of 336.3 mph (541.4 km/h). This record “lived” only for two days, to be beaten by another British pilot, Augustus Orlebar (Supermarine S.6, 357.7mph, 575.5 km/h)

Italy’s revenge for the Schneider Trophy: in 1933, Francesco Agello reached 423.6 mph (682 km/h) in his Macchi M.C.72. On October 23, 1934, he established a new record (440.5mph, 709.2 km/h), flying the same floatplane

Howard Hughes after a flight in his H-1 Racer. In 1935, he reached 352 mph (566 km/h), establishing an unofficial speed record for landplanes. Two years later, flying the same (although modified) aircraft non-stop from LA to New York, Hughes set a new transcontinental speed record: 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

On April 26, 1939, test pilot Fritz Wendel flew this Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 to a new world speed record: 469.22mph (755.13 km/h). No other piston-engine aircraft could do better in 30 years, until Darryl Greenamyer reached 483.04mph in his Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat.

Now, let’s look at the racetrack:

The first post-WWI land speed record (and the last set on a public road): on July 12, 1924, Ernest Eldridge reached 145.89mph (234.98 km/h) driving a 21.7-litre Fiat Mefistofele

March 29, 1927, Daytona Beach: Maj. Henry Segrave reaches 203.79mph (327.97 km/h) in a 1000hp Sunbeam

May 1928: Scientific American introduces three fast cars: Malcolm Campbell’s Napier-powered Blue Bird (206.95mph, 333.04 km/h, world’s land speed record, Feb. 19 1928), Stutz Blackhawk Special (122-183 cu.in. speed record, 198.29mph, 319.12 km/h, April 25), and Triplex Special (207.55mph, 334 km/h, world’s land speed record, April 22). By the time the magazine has reached its readers, two cars crashed, killing their drivers, Frank Lockhart (Stutz) and Lee Bible (Triplex)

March 11, 1929: Henry Segrave strikes back, setting a new record in his incredible Golden Arrow – 231.44 mph, 372.45 km/h. Upon his return from Daytona, he ordered a few scale models of the lucky car.

Two months later, Malcolm Campbell (from now on, Sir Malcolm) went to South Africa to establish a new record: 246.09mph (396.02 km/h). In 1935 and 1937, he set two more records, reaching 276.81mph at Daytona and 301.13mph at Bonneville

Thunderbolt, the mount of George Eyston (a painting by H.J. Moser). Three land speed records, all set at Bonneville Salt Flats: 312.00 mph (502.12 km/h) on November 19, 1937; 345.50 mph (556.03 km/h) on August 27, 1938; 357.50 mph (575.34 km/h) on September 15, 1938.

Railton Special, the mount of John Cobb. Two land speed records, also set at the Bonneville Salt Flats: 353.30mph (568.58 km/h) on September 15, 1938, and 369.70 mph (594.97 km/h) on August 23, 1939. This is a post-war photograph of the Special, rebuilt and rebadged. On September 16, 1947 John Cobb averaged 394.19 mph (634.39 km/h) over the measured mile in both directions to take his third land speed record.

To be continued…

Today we celebrate the art of rodolforever, a Mexican illustrator and graphic designer who developed a passion for comic books and superhero movies – and it shows!

Robot 1 by rodolforever, 2010

Here is a short selection of his posters and illustrations embracing Art Deco and Ancient Greek mythology, Expressionist movies and Conan Doyle, vamipres and robots.

Superman poster by rodolforever, 2009

Superman Movie by rodolforever, 2009

Green Lantern poster by rodolforever, 2009

Aphrodite by rodolforever, 2010

Zeus by rodolforever, 2010

Minotaur by rodolforever, 2010

Hades by rodolforever, 2010

Art Deco Batman (what if?..) by rodolforever, 2009

Batman Movie poster by rodolforever, 2009

Batman Returns poster by rodolforever, 2009

Batman Forever poster by rodolforever, 2009

Batman and Robin poster by rodolforever, 2009

Batman Begins poster by rodolforever, 2010

Dracula ’92 poster by rodolforever, 2009

Captain Canuck by rodolforever, 2010

Iron Man 2 poster by rodolforever, 2010

Victoire by rodolforever, 2010

Mexico Historical Poster by rodolforever, 2010

Festival Night by rodolforever, 2011

American Towman banner by rodolforever, 2011

The Sparrow by rodolforever (in collaboration with Stefan,) 2011

Luminaries Book cover by rodolforever, 2012

Fritz Lang ‘M’ poster by rodolforever, 2012

Metropolis red print by rodolforever, 2012

Astoria Casino by rodolforever, 2012

To see more, visit the artist’s gallery on DeviantArt

Roy Art Deco by rodolforever, 2009