Dreams of Space after 2 Years!

It hardly seems like another year but thanks to my loyal viewers "Dreams of Space --Books and Ephemera" blog celebrates its second year on February 2.

When I started it really was a way for me to do something else with my collection. By profession I am a librarian and feel compelled to share things.  Thank you for being my audience as my not-so-detailed text accompanied some of my favorite images of spaceflight.

The blog has given me an excuse to buy a few more things as well as a place to have a conversation about some of the cool books we remember.

I especially thank some of my friends in Europe who have shared their knowledge and comments as I stumble across items you are all much more familiar with.  I appreciate people sharing their knowledge and encouraging me that there are more than a few of us "nutters" out there dreaming of space.

I will keep sharing items since I still keep finding more I want to share.  Each object has a story and I thank you for giving me the chance to tell the story.  And next up is your "First Vacation on the Moon" a book I am sure most of you have never seen. Bonjour!

The Man from Space (1955)

Nothing to do with space flight just an old cool cover. Get ready for your "First Vacation on the Moon".

What's on the Moon? (1965)

Reader's Digest may not be the first place you go to find children's books about space flight but I found one.  In the 1960s there was a hunger for materials for the classroom. Reader's Digest evidently had a series of reprinted articles that they made available for classroom use.  Although the cover is alluring, most of the articles inside were not about space. The cover on this is very Bonestellian. The space article reprinted is a 1963 article:

Maisel, Albert Q. "The Fantastic Hazards of Landing on the Moon" Reader's Digest Sept 1963.

 On the inside is also a nice painting of men exploring the Moon.

Between "mountain climbing" and the huge cracks in the surface it looks like their Moon was a lot more exciting than "our" Moon.  The adventure of going to the Moon. Of course because this was intended for schools there had to be a quiz on the material at the end of the "interesting" reading.  Test your space knowledge (and knowledge of word endings)!

P.S. Are you getting ready for your “First Vacation on the Moon?

Wonders of Space Stamps (1954)

These "Golden Books" were everywhere and there were stamps for all sorts of subjects. This is the earliest of the space related stamps books.  Each stamp is a little jewel of space art.

Bernhard, Hubert. Illustrated by Solonewitsch, George and Discount, William. Wonders of Space Stamps: An Exciting Account of the Stars, Sun, Planets, and Other Wonders of the Sky. New York: Simon and Schuster. (48 p.) 28 cm. (1954)

There are so many images that rather than scan each I scanned the sheets of stamps.

These stamp books had simple text and 48 color stamps to glue in the appropriate places. George Solonewitsch's stamp art includes paintings of the planets and a rocket to the Moon.

But you should not discount a little extra space art from William Discount (sorry). His drawings of a couple of space scenes to go with the stamps are also a hidden treasure.

This is the only page that has any space flight text but these next few images are nicely futuristic about what children could expect from space flight.

Beside the Moon mankind would also eventually go to tthe other planets.
 

A very nice book. P.S. your "First Vacation on the Moon" is coming up soon!

To the Moon by Rocket Ship (1940)

I have very few pre-1950s items in my collection.  Since my focus is primarily children's non-fiction about space flight there are now many earlier examples. One might be this 1940 pamphlet from the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia. At the time a few planetariums were having special shows that took visitors on an imaginary voyage into space.

This pamphlet collected the facts and gave the visitor something to take home.  While primitive in appearance I image many children who were in love with Buck Rogers being facinated that it might someday all be true.

The text give you the feeling that the presentation was sort of like an early version of the modern science fiction epic where you are immersed in an science fiction adventure to the Moon.

Do You Know About Our Solar System? (1963)

A quick one on a Friday.  While most of this book has pictures of the planets it does have one excellent illustration worth sharing.

King, H C. Illustrated by Hall, Roger. Do You Know about Our Solar System. London : Collins Sons and Co. (48 p.) 27 cm. Cloth. (1963)

Mostly concerned with astronomy, there are illustrations of space probes, the surfaces of several planets and a manned landing on the Moon. "Pageant of Knowledge" series.

The Illustrated Story of Space (Classics Illustrated) (1959)

This is the cover you would have found on the American edition of this comic book and this is the British cover:

I like how they chose to "flip" the image.

Classics Illustrated were comics books intended to educate as well as entertain.  They often were fictional "classic" books in comic book form such as Moby Dick. They also had a special series called "The World around Us." These were non-fiction comic books about topics of interest.

Classics Illustrated. Illustrated by McCann, Gerald, Glanzman, Sam, and Tartaglione, John. The Illustrated Story of Space. Classics Illustrated. (80 p.) 26 cm. Softcover.


Contains illustrated stories on training for space, the first rocket to the Moon, the history and use of the rocket, the launch of Vanguard 1, and the construction of a space station. "The World Around Us" (#5) January 1959.

"These are no longer the dreams of science fiction. They are part of real life."
 

The excitement of assembling a space station
 

Just page after page of excitement about what was just around the corner...
 

The ship they chose for the landing on the Moon seems a little odd.  Why carry a winged plane all the way to the Moon when you will leave and return to a space station?
 
 

I also love the angle they chose for this illustration. You really feel like you are climbing down to the surface.
 

"When you're ready to go to the planets, sir, I'll be standing by!"