Wonders of Space Travel (1954)

 

I have not blogged about this pamphlet since 2010 so here is a more complete scan. Wonders of Space Travel was a pamphlet that came enclosed in the May 8th issue of Lion Weekly (#116) in 1954.

Lion Weekly was a magazine for children with comics and stories. (from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_%28comics%29 It ran from 1952-1974. Evidently once in a while they would have extra booklets as part of the magazine.

I am fascinated with children's non-fiction about spaceflight. I especially like these early efforts where children were told and shown their brave new future. 

Many of the illustrations (Bonestell, Klep, Freeman) were from the Collier's Magazine series of articles about space flight so that may be why they are familiar. There are also a couple of images from R.A. Smith illustrations in a British publication.

The Authentic Book of Space (1954)

First came Authentic Science Fiction as a monthly magazine of both science fiction and science fact articles. Then came a British annual for children taking advantage of the trend towards space subject in books.

Edited by H.J. Campbell ; foreword by Arthur C. Clarke. Authentic Science Fiction.  London. (100 pp.),28 cm.

 A amazing treasure of the early British space literature, 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. 

 This copy was signed by one of the great American SF Collectors and occasional writer, Forrest J. Ackerman.

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. 

The Young Traveler in Space (1954)

With all the strangeness going on and having to work from home I am going to go back to my favorites. So this is the first in re-scanning some books that I have shared before over the last 10 or so years. I hope these still bring you as much joy and they do me.

Arthur C. Clarke. The Young Traveler in Space. Illustrated by Edmund Blandford, G.A. Frodsham and R.A. Smith. London : Phoenix House. (72 pp.) 28 cm.

This was Arthur C. Clarke's children's book to teach about spaceflight.

It was a basic book about the history of thought about spaceflight, basic principles of rockets and a explanation how we would get to the Moon and the planets.

 As the man who basically first put forward in print the idea of communication satellites, this diagram above is almost historic in showing and explaining this idea to children.

 There were many ideas about what a space station would look like but it was always promoted as the first part of our "steps to the planets."

 The next step was the Moon. This "vision" was based on plans developed by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) and was illustrated by the best of the early British space artists, R.A. Smith.

This last photograph was part of the exploring the planets section. It was not clear exactly what it would look like but "space domes" were always thought to be a part of it.

What Will We Do With The Moon? Popular Science April (1952)

Happy Halloween and what can be spookier than a Moon we don't know what to do with and a dead artist?


From Popular Science April 1952. An interesting article by Arthur C. Clark about what the future might shape up to be.  Clarke and the British Interplanetary society had been thinking about spaceflight for as long or longer than anyone in the world. The BIS came up with a plan for a manned rocket and how a moon colony might work.  Many of these ideas we depicted by the great (lesser know) space artist Ralph Andrew (R.A.)Smith. Tragically he passed away in 1958, never seeing his images come to life.
http://www.bis-space.com/what-we-do/the-british-interplanetary-society/history/r-a-smith

 R.A. Smith illustrated the BIS imagination much like Chesley Bonestell illustrated the imagination of von Braun and the American space fans. For more examples of Smith's work see these old posts:

http://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2009/02/daily-mail-annual-next-great-adventure.html
http://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2009/07/exploration-of-moon-1954.html

 The "bug' lunar lander is another of those interesting features of the BIS vision. It looks much more realistic to us today than the oversized von Braun expedition vehicle.