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When in Berkeley?

October 3, 2012 7:00 am by Tracey Taylor

Rather than a “Where in Berkeley,” today, as we have done a few times before, we bring you a “When in Berkeley?”.

Have a guess when this photograph was taken, and tell us what it shows. (It goes without saying you won’t simply Google it.)  As usual, let us have your answers in the Comments.

Update, 9:39 am: John Holland got it. This photo was taken on May 23, 1908 and shows the Morrell Airship flying low over Berkeley High School. What happened next was the country’s first major airship disaster. Read all about it at the wonderful Berkeley Historical Plaque Project, where this picture, and several more, appears. And note that the plaque that has been assigned to this historical event is an “e-plaque” — it only exists on the Berkeley Plaques’ website — so there’s no point in going out to look for it in “real life”! Congratulations, John, on being this week’s winner.

Photo: Sarah Wikander collection

23 Comments

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  • John Holland

    That would be the 
    Morrell Airship Collapse in 1908, the nation’s first airship disaster!

  • another BUSD parent

    A giant, flying……hot dog?

  • The Sharkey

    Oscar Mayer wiener blimp?

  • Popedm

    1908 sounds a little early.  It’s obviously an early dirigible, probably from 1912 – 1918 or so.

  • Bradley Froehle
  • Alina

    This site is such a treasure!  Thanks for posting.

  • Kester

    The Morrell Airship Collapse(23 May 1908)

  • TizziLish

    Thanks, Berkeleyside.  This is a fascinating episode in the history of flight and Berkeley. That airship is fascinating.  I wonder why its creator made it so big? I wonder if he went on to make other airships? Human culture evolving . …

    Berkeleyside could still have made this a ‘where in Berkeley’. Where is the plaque posted?  It must be near Kittredge and Martin Luther King, right?  I’m going to make that the goal of my walk today:  finding the plaque.

  • TizziLish

    Popedm, if you check out Bradley’s link, you will see that it was 1908, which was a few years after the Wright Brothers launched their Kitty Hawk!

    Who knew Berkeley played a role in early, manned flight?!

  • http://berkeleyside.com Tracey Taylor

    John: You got it. 

    This photo was taken on May 23, 1908 and shows the Morrell Airship flying low over Berkeley High School. What happened next was the country’s first major airship disaster. 

    Read all about it at the wonderful Berkeley Historical Plaque Project: http://www.berkeleyplaques.org/index.php?page=morrell-airship

    And note that the plaque that has been assigned to this historical event is an “e-plaque” — it only exists on the Berkeley Plaques’ website — so there’s no point in going out to look for it in “real life”! Congratulations, John, on being this week’s winner.

  • John Holland

    We should make a mobile app that displays eplaques on your phone when you are in that location.

  • http://twitter.com/mo_husseini mo husseini

     Are you somehow moderating comments?  I’ve posted twice and they never show up… Was it something I said?

  • http://twitter.com/mo_husseini mo husseini

     Although these ones show up. hmmmm…..

  • The Sharkey

    A great idea for the Downtown Business Association!
    A few postings in key areas on/near campus and public transportation about downloading the app, which could include a walking tour of key points of interest in downtown Berkeley.

  • http://twitter.com/danpoulsen Daniel Poulsen

    “It goes without saying you won’t simply Google it.” Actually you can just Google image search it.

  • John Holland

    Then we take the company public. Who would have thought The Sharkey and I would become mobile Internet bajillionaire partners! A match that could only be made in Berkeley!

  • http://twitter.com/mo_husseini mo husseini

     yeah… that’s what I posted about (twice) and the comments never showed up…. is it including a link that does it?  http://goo.gl/LvTsh

  • http://berkeleyside.com Tracey Taylor

    Google it. Google image it. We know the answer is a click of the mouse away. We hope, however, people will resist going that way and use that old-fashioned tool called the brain!

  • http://berkeleyside.com Tracey Taylor

    If a commenter includes a link or a photo the comment needs to be approved by a moderator.

  • serkes

    Top Dog … the early years

    Ira

  • http://www.flickr.com/parksdh D. H. Parks

    There is no realistic problem solving mechanism in the time before the answer is confirmed other  than 1. Google 2. Just knowing it already

  • serkes

    Are many of the links or photos spam or inappropriate?

  • Berkeleygal

    DBA, huh?
    What are you? the spokesperson?