Balloons have been in the news a lot recently here in North America. The idea of “spy balloons” may seem amusing today, but observation balloons have long been used for military purposes, most notably during the First World War. The postcard photo above may have been taken near the end of the war, or it may have been taken after the war ended. The balloon is a Caquot type, named after its French inventor, Albert Caquot. Caquot dirigibles were used by the Allies during the war, including the United States.
Switzerland was neutral during WWI, but Swiss forces patrolled the nation’s borders to prevent incursion by any of the combatants. This balloon might therefore have been used for defensive surveillance. Beyond that, there are things about the photo I can’t explain. Why does this company need a rake, pitchfork and scythe? Why do they have a large bag which appears to say Postes suisses? Have a look at the detail images below and see what you think:
Only one man is holding a gun (far right, above).
Here’s a close-up of the Postes suisses bag. Just behind and to the right is a rangefinder of some kind:
You might be able to see the images better in this gallery:
The back of the postcard has a Satrap trademark, which means the paper was made by the company Schering AG, based in Berlin:
Feel free to share your thoughts about the photo or about anything else balloon-related!
Update: a visitor the blog, Michael, identified the motorcycle in the photo. He commented:
The motorcycle helps to date to photo to about 1918 – 1921. It is a Swiss made ‘Motosacoche’ combination (i.e. with a sidecar). The exhaust pipes coming out of the V Twin engine are very distinctive. Here is one in a Spanish Museum:
https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/motosacoche-1899-1919/Motosacoche-1918-750GL-BMB-MRi-01.htm
Thank you, Michael!
Post updated February 17, 2023.
Tokens of Companionship 
That’s very interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing. Is it possible that those agricultural tools are simply necessary to keep the lawn where the balloon was kept/dealt with? After all every airport needs to take care of weeds along the runway, even nowadays.
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Yes, this is a good and reasonable explanation…
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Yes, that seems like the best explanation. It’s kind of funny that the guys would hold those tools for the photograph, but there was a tradition of military servicemen posing with tools they used in their service. Usually it was weapons, but not always. I suspect these men found it a little bit amusing to pose with farm tools as well.
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They are part of the service. Part of the team.
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Yes, I too thought of the same.
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I had read that balloons were used back then but had never seen a photo. This one is rich in details and possibilities.
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Yes, it’s full of interesting details. The balloon is simply the most unusual one! I’ve seen other photos of observation balloons, but this is the only one I own. Thanks, Jo Nell!
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Very interesting photo! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Shayne! I thought you might have given up blogging for a while there.
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Took a break!
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I only managed seven posts last year, but I hope to do at least one per month this year.
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My main reaction is that the pitchfork seems too close to the balloon for comfort. My other thought is that there must be an interesting backstory to the taking of the photo.
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I had the same reaction to the pitchfork when I first saw the photo! The balloon must be farther away than it appears. You have to wonder if the guys created that illusion on purpose, or if it was accidental.
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Lots of questions with this photo!
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I agree that the implements were used to keep the landing area trim and clean. If that is a rangefinder, then probably used for taking aerial photos. I wondered if it was a pump or something. Well, if you’re going to be covering some territory for surveillance, might as well deliver mail while you’re at it! I expect the bag might contain something else and is just to disguise it. The camera apparatus?
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I had the same thought about the mail bag–if that’s what it was–that it might have been repurposed for something else. Too bad we can’t see what was inside it. But as you say, maybe that was the point. Thanks, Eilene!
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My first thought was that the rake and such were used to keep the landing area tidy. I’m used to thinking of blimps that move from place to place, but from what I read about this sort of craft, they remained tethered while being raised; the Caquot could remain in place at about 4,000 feet, and in 70 mph winds. The presence of a postal bag suggests that the balloon/dirigible went from place to place, but it might simply have been an extra bag that was used to hold other supplies. I got a kick out of parts of the balloon; they look almost quilted.
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I suspect you’re right that the mail bag was used for something else. Maybe they included it here simply as a way to identify that they were Swiss.
As I’m sure you read, serving in balloons during the war was very dangerous, as they were often shot down. For that reason, balloonists were the first airmen to use parachutes. (I planned to include additional links in the post, but my WP editor was acting up and wouldn’t let me.)
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Great photo! And you’re right about its mysteries, though I like a lot of the answers in the comments above.
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Thank you! One element in the photo that someone might be able to identify is the motorcycle. I don’t know the first thing about early motorbikes, so I didn’t try.
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Good question, but I don’t know the first thing about them either.
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So much to see in this photo, and so easy to miss. Great to have the close-up views.
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Thank you, Geoff. Scanning is such a great way to bring out the details in old photos. It’s a shame that many museums only share low-res scans of the photos in their collections, for commercial reasons. But I’ll try to stay off my soapbox.
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Interesting Photo. With many questions behind it. Thanks for sharing! About balloons and photography, the French photographer, Nadar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadar) began to photograph from balloons in 1858.
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Nadar was a true pioneer and a fascinating character. I’d forgotten about his work with balloons. Apparently his book, “Quand j’étais photographe,” was republished in 2015 by MIT Press. I need to buy that!
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You can the book download in Bibliotheque National de France (BNF), in Gallica
https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb346216248
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Thanks!
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Interesting picture and as you say it raises many questions.
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Thanks! I always learn things about a photo when I share it.
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I really look forward to reading your blogs. Always enjoy how your photographs take one to different perspectives.
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That’s very kind of you, Jyothy! I’m always pleased when you come by to visit. 🙂
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Another fascinating photo with lots of detail !
The motorcyle helps to date to photo to about 1918 – 1921. It is a Swiss made ‘Motosacoche’ combination (i.e. with a sidecar). The exhast pipes coming out of the V Twin engine are very distinctive. Here is one in a Spanish Museum :
https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/motosacoche-1899-1919/Motosacoche-1918-750GL-BMB-MRi-01.htm
Regarding attacks on this type of balloon – the best first person account I have read is by your own Eddie Rickenbacker. His memoir is freely available online.
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Fantastic research, Michael! Are you into motorcycles, or are you just a really good detective? It makes sense that these guys had a Swiss-made bike. I’ve never heard of Motosacoche.
I’ll update the post tomorrow with the new information. It seems likely that this is a post-war photo, although I guess we still don’t know for sure.
Thank you for the tip about Eddie Rickenbacker. I found an interesting article from 2017 about the experience of balloon observer Jimmy Higgs.
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No particular motorcycle expertise, this find arose from an image based search.
My take on the odd props in this photo – perhaps the conscripts just want something to represent their professions or hobbies in ‘real life’. So we may have some farmworkers, and a guy who is an amateur racing cyclist ?
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I edited my comment above slightly because I guess the photo could have been taken in 1918 and therefore could have been taken while the war was still going on.
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I have never seen a balloon like this before. I agree about the pitchfork. 🙂 Some of the men look like they are trying not to smile. There must have been some laughs before posing for this unusual photo.
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They seem to have had a good esprit de corps. 🙂
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Nice vintage postcard from WWI
Best regards
Bernhard
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Thank you for your visit and comment!
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I looked at the photo and I thought “they’re having a laugh”! I think it’s a jokey photograph, and the farm implements have nothing to do with them, they just grabbed them from a passing farmer to include them for fun. Likewise the postbag, and possibly the bicycle, too. Look at the pretend-cycling by the two chaps on the right, and the barely suppressed giggles all round. I might be wrong about this, but that’s the “vibe” I’m getting from this picture.
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I like your theory! The only thing I might add would be that a bicycle and motorcycle make sense from a logistical point of view, as a balloon company might be stationed some distance from a base, and would therefore need to have various means of transportation at its disposal. But you’re right, they were certainly having a bit of fun with the photo.
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Lawn care at the airport. I wouldn’t want pitchfork or take guys standing to close to the balloon though.
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I know, right? Pitchfork + balloon = bad idea!
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They definitely did not have safety officers back then😂.
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There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I have read all of yours. I agree with Little Sparrow: This is not a serious photo – when the war was in it’s last year or post war. The participants (Swiss Militia) may be feeling some relief and are having a good time. Perhaps they just picked up “props” which were handy (and nonsensical?) – for all of the reasons previously mentioned. The predecessor to “photo bombing” was goofy gestures – but not too goofy if you are in your country’s militia uniform. Stewart
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Well said, Stewart! I like the thought that the war was probably over and these men weren’t concerned about being caught up in it. So many young men of their generation weren’t so lucky.
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Wonder how old they were. Some of the boys look quite young to me.
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Yes, young men are more likely to follow orders. And more likely to get excited about living in tents and that sort of thing. Old guys appreciate the comforts of home!
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Haha wonder if it is the other way around these days!
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The first thing that came to my mind was hot air balloons, I’ve not heard of observation balloons until this. They seemed to be having fun though. Commenting on this post to let you know I sent a postcard but am not sure if I still got the right address
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Your postcard arrived two days ago! It was such a delightful surprise! I’m so glad you’ve been able to visit your Walden again. I know how much it means to you. Someday, when you live there, maybe I’ll come visit and you can show me your favorite spots. In the meantime, thank you so much for the postcard! 😊
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Very interesting photo!
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Thanks!
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