On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg caught fire during its mooring maneuver in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and burned completely within seconds. The photograph shows the immediate phase of the disaster: the framework of the LZ 129 has come to rest on the ground, fire and smoke are still present, and the first persons—ground personnel, naval personnel, and chance witnesses—are in the immediate vicinity of the wreckage. These early moments, before organized rescue operations commenced, document the end of the airship and the beginning of recovery efforts.