A give away from Red Ball Jets shoes. It was published by C.S. Hammond, better known for atlases, who also made many of the giveaway space maps of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The illustrations in this pamphlet were also used on these map of our "future in space".
Wonderful distinctive art that was reused a number of time by Hammond in their publications.
The illustration of the real and speculative rockets side by side is very nice. The airbrushed smoke makes you feel like the rockets are fueled and ready for take off.
As you can tell I am a sucker for moonbases. The domed settlement on the moon with the elevations reinforces the impression that the settlement was just a few years away.
Oh, man, I had this book when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteHi John
ReplyDeleteSo many books... my elementary school had a bunch of "old" 'Reader's Digests' around for added reading material, one of which had a reprint of Arthur C. Clarke's "So You're Going to Mars" - have you seen that one? About 1965-66.
Yet another stunner. I'm certain I used to have either this or one of those other Hammond publications you mention that reused the art.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which ... perhaps one of those Hammond items is a poster from my childhood I've been dying for years to identify. Would your space poster collection be very extensive, John? (Need I ask!) The one I'm trying to ID, probably from the late 1950s to early 1960s, displayed a dozen or so spaceships, as I recall, mostly speculative but including a few real (or would-be real; e.g., the Dyna-Soar) vehicles, all against a background of dim twilight blue. The ships were mostly gunmetal in color; one I remember in particular was basically large and spherical, with a smaller conical propulsion section on one end, and another may have been approximately saucerform. I believe there was something else not quite as interesting on the flip-side of the poster. The last time I saw a copy of this, it was hanging on the wall of someone's office at NASA, just off the Washington Mall near the Air & Space Museum. Alas, walking across the lawn and through the shrubbery to get a better look into the NASA office would probably have been considered rather suspect, even back in the late 1980s!
So, ring any bells, John?
-- Michael S.
I think I just bought this one. If you are on ebay check out this auction:
ReplyDeletehttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150434517426&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Bingo! You got it in one, John -- literally. Well, now I know what it is, or at least its name: "Space Age". It's a shame the eBay description didn't mention who published it, though, because based on the information that was provided, I uncovered no other reference to this item on the Web! I suppose you'll find out more details when you receive it, though.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, it's more colorful than I recalled -- not a lot of gunmetal there, after all. I aced it on the spherical ship, even up in the upper left where I recalled, though I got the wrong "X" ship -- an X-15 rather than an X-20 (Dyna-Soar). That astronaut in the lower left looks like something by John Polgreen, doesn't it? Perhaps he's the artist, even. Again, you'll find out ... and I'm very much looking forward to the resulting posting!
Thanks,
Michael S.
Only identifying information is copyright Educational Posters 1959 #117 "Space Age"
ReplyDeleteJust bought one today at an estate sale. Brought back many memories reading about space!
ReplyDelete