Tom Corbett Space Cadet Push-Outs (1952)

Happy Holidays from Dreams of Space.

I try every year to have a Christmas posting. Sometimes it is something Christmas related and others it is a toy for my readers. This is one of the most beautiful punch-out or push-out books I know of. Even though it is not children's non-fiction it evokes the early 1950s vision of space. Plus everyone needs some toy rayguns and other gear for their own space cosplay over the holidays. Enjoy!

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Push-Outs. Rockhill Productions, Akron, OH: Saalfield Publishing Co., 1952. 

Item code 4304--25 on cover. 10.5" x 14", 8 cardstock pages, including covers, of incredibly colorful push-outs of Tom Corbett rocket ships, ray guns, badges, rings, arm bands, 'walkie-talkie 2-way Space Phone' and stand-ups of Cadets, pirates and the Space Academy.  The early 50's space artwork is amazing: the cover art is signed by the noted illustrator Florian.

Even though the pages are beautiful,  I think all the gadgets and badges are what's really neat. So here are separate scans so you can print out your own set of rings, gadgets and patches.

 If you don't want to be a hero, you can also be a Space Pirate with its bat-wing symbol.

 The details in this book are really amazing.

Six Days on Luna One (1965) -Part 4

This is the 4th post about this beautiful book. Are you tired of it yet?

Six Days on Luna One. I. Shtuka, and T. Rotreckl. 211 pp. ARTIA, Prague, 1965. Hard cloth cover, dust jacket.  24 x 22 cm.

I think this is a translation into Russian of a 1963 Czech book.

 I really can't pick but wanted to share some of what's left of those I scanned

This is one of the last illustrations in the book and one of the best

Six Days on Luna One (1965) -Part 3

So much left to show in this incredible book.

This book is unique (at least to me) in showing the failure in space flight. The picture above shows poignantly an astronaut carrying their buddy back to the rover after an accident.  Below is a failed rocket test.  American books rarely showed the expected costs of learning to go into space.

This sequence suggest the failure of a lunar ship as it lands and the follow-up ship landing to explore the wreckage.

Of course failure was not in the cards for everyone. This sequence suggests a Mars landing.

 Building telescopes on the Moon

 Perhaps going to fly though Venus's atmosphere.

See you next week for post #4 of 4