Space Age (1959)

Lots of space art goodness for today.

OK this one is for Michael S. We had been talking about this poster and I promised to blog about it when it got here.

Only identifying information on it is: Copyright 1959 Educational Posters #117 "Space Age"

This poster is one of those that gets stuck in your memory. I don't know when I first saw a copy but when I found images of it online a few years ago I kept trying to find one. Part of the problem is that all the identifying information is so generic: "Space age," "Educational Posters," etc.

What is special about it is that it is paintings of rockets, satellites, a flying saucer, and an astronaut. These are from a wide variety of sources including the Collier's series, the Disney series, and a few other interesting inspirations. Each image is labeled so I will give the label in case it is too small to see.

"Personnel Rocket" (Adapted from Lindberg "US Moon ship" model?)
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/US%20MOON%20SHIP%20PAGE.htm
"Instrument carrying satellite" (From Collier's Bonestell 'Baby satellite')

"Relief Ship" (From Disney RM-1 'Circumlunar ship')



"3 stage personnel rocket" (From Collier's Klep illustration)


"Colony sphere" (Possibly from The Torchship "Lewis & Clark" from Time For the Stars by Robert A. Heinlein, 1956)
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3i.html


"Third stage unit" (From Disney 'RX-1' or 'XR-1')

"Flying saucer" (From the 1950 book "The Flying Saucers are Real")
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Saucers_Are_Real




"Three stage rocket"



"Space station" (From Collier's Bonestell illustration or Lindberg "US Space Station" model?)
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/US%20SPACE%20STATION%20PAGE.htm


"U.S. X-15"


"Research ship" (From Collier's Bonestell illustration)



"Exploration ship" (From Frank Tinsley illustration of "Light-propelled space ship")
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3p.html#tinsley

"Space reconnaissance ship" (From Frank Tinsley illustration "Space Scout" from 1958 book: The Answer to the Space Flight Challenge )
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3p.html#stine


"Weather eye satellite"
"Fourth stage passenger unit" (From Disney MX-1 or XM-1)


"Space suit and anti-gravitational unit" (From Collier's Klep illustration)


"Space reconnaissance and 3 stage propellant"


"Exploration ship" (Collier's Bonestell Mars Ship illustration)



"Observatory satellite" (From Strombecker "Manned Observational Satellite" model?)
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/CONVAIR%20MANNED%20OBSERVATIONAL%20SATELLITE%20PAGE.htm

The artist was Richard Amundsen.


Educational Posters evidently produced a number of posters for classrooms including HISTORY OF SHIPS, HISTORY OF FLIGHT, SPACE AGE and CHILDREN OF OTHER LANDS. Educational Posters Co., was a division of Dow (Louis F) Co.


Sorry for the low quality photographs but I wanted to show as much detail as I could.

Exploring Space (1966)

One of the things I love about space art is when factual depiction meets impressionism. Everything illustrated in Exploring Space is basically real but the artistic license makes it feel just a little mythical.

Ronan, Colin. Illustrated by Hardy, Wilfred. Exploring Space. London: Odhams, (96 p.) : 22 cm.

Sometimes a little impressionism lets the viewer see the spirit behind the image.

Exploring space was an amazing adventure. The astronauts were close to the surface of the earth in miles yet at the farthest reaches we have explored.

The NASA Art Program is dedicated to getting artists to witness what we are doing through a different set of eyes. How does it feel to witness these events and know what they mean. Someone had the forethought that maybe we might want to remember this time in more than photographs.

"The NASA Art Program uses the medium of fine art to document America's space program for 'the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space...for the benefit of all mankind." (National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958.)

Even these drawings done for a forgotten children's book give us something different than a photograph. They give us the taste of a dream.

Authentic Book of Space (1954)

Authentic Science Fiction was a monthly science fiction magazine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentic_Science_Fiction)

They issued an annual with many wonderful paintings. With a forward by Arthur C. Clarke, the contents are a mixture of articles and fictional stories by science fiction writers associated with the British Interplanetary Society (B.I.S.) and the London Science Fiction Circle. It has a number of interesting articles about the history of rockets, navigating rockets, a reprint of a B.I.S. paper on artificial satellites, and how to communicate with aliens. Also the usual comic strips, puzzles, and various games. A amazing treasure of the early British space literature.

These are nice because although they were used as covers for the magazine, they stand out without the text overlays as great inspirational paintings.
Compare this one to the original cover here:
http://www.waldeneast.fsnet.co.uk/Maine%20Magazine%20Gallery/Auth39.jpg

Campbell, H.J. (ed.). Illustrated by Richards, John, Campbell, H. J. The Authentic Book of Space. London : Hamilton and Co, Authentic Science Fiction. (102 p.) 28 cm.

I happily count this as one of the more colorful children's space books of the time and an amazing treasure of early British space literature.

A Monkey's Tale (1964)

Space monkeys!!!

At that point just before we started launching me into space, there were space monkeys (and chimps) who took that heroic journey. That era lasted a relatively short time but fiction about those animals persisted.

Kravetz, Nathan. Illustrated by Susan Perl. A Monkey's Tale. Boston : Little, Brown. 57 p. 21 cm.



As a way to explain and make the whole launch into space process accessible to children primates in space was a favorite fictional topic. I have collected a number of these because of the illustrations that depict the real Mercury-style launches.


Also a little space humor doesn't hurt. The story revolves around a rocket that is launched too soon during a test.

Upon attaining orbit the monkey is able to repair a malfunctioning Russian manned capsule and able to trigger the re-entry of both capsules. This double landing is a great illustration of how the recovery felt to those who were there. Returning from the unknown whether primate or human left everyone with an enormous sense of relief.

You and Space Neighbors (1953)

A very different sort of space art today. This is a non-fiction book despite the fanciful illustrations. Along with the possibility of travel in space was the larger idea of there were places to go in space. This book told about what conditions were like on the other planets of our solar system. They led the reader to imagine what it would be like to be there.

Lewellen, John. Illustrated by Fitch, Winnie and Phelan, Joe. You and Space Neighbors. Chicago: Children's Press. (58 p.) 24 cm.

A sort of sequel to Lewellen's "You and Space Travel" (1951), It showed imaginary people who might live under the different planetary atmospheres and conditions.

Space: Man's New Frontier (1962)

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.

Voyage dans L'espace (1958)

Travel in Space! This was another example of space stamps in hidden places. Published in both Belgium and France my best guess is that these were albums for stamps that someone would get from consuming chocolate.


I also have the Dutch version with the same stamps




The stamps are beautiful full color tiny paintings.



It seems possible that the launch of Sputnik 1 created an advertising opportunity. The painting are "Bonestellesque". The artist seems to be R. En R Das (which why I think these started as a Dutch book). The author was P.R.O. Peller (which seems like a pseudonym doesn't it?).




These space station shots are minor masterpieces for their detail and impressionistic feel.


I also like the flotilla of moonships in primary colors.

I also really like the moonbase. The illustration of the construction and planning make me wish these had been issued as separate prints rather than hidden in an obscure book.