Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Keystone View Company Observation Balloon Fatally Pierced by Incendiary Bullets from American Plane.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09584.159 Author/Creator: Keystone View Company Place Written: Germany Type: Stereocard Date: 1914-1918 Pagination: 1 stereocard Height: 8.7 cm, Width: 17.7 cm Order a Copy

A view from the ground of a German observation balloon exploding after receiving fire from an American warplane. The silhouette of a passenger basket can be seen hanging from the bottom of the balloon.

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