The Man-Rocket (1961)

So this is just a fun bit of ephemera.  Everyone characterizes the space age as "Where's my jetpack?" This was shorthand for the promised wonders of the time. But some of those ideas were pretty awesome!

The rocket belt  was a real technology that was demonstrated widely at the World's Fair in 1961. This pamphlet from Bell  Aerosystems Company showed some of the wonders and science behind it.

In 2009 I blogged about Kornel Keds and His Exciting Bell Rocket Belt

https://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2009/07/kolonel-keds-and-his-exciting-bell.html

ROCKET BELTS ON THE MOON!!!

Triumph Over Space (1951)

Triumph Over Space is a lie!

Well actually it is a 1951 promotional comic book but it has very little to do with space flight. It turns out it is from Kaiser-Frazer Motor Company promoting their new car. Since space flight was the "in" thing they frame the story of the car around a Martian coming to Earth.

 So it does start the story off on Mars....

 But you do feel a little cheated (as a child of the time might have) that is is about the new Kaiser car.

 "The 1951 Kaiser is truly a triumph over space!"

What the Telescope Told Us (1972)

I was excited to get a 1st edition of this popular book. It has some beautiful paintings of Soviet future exploration of the Solar system.

Klushantsev, P. Illustrations by E. Voishvillo. What the Telescope Told Us. Moscow : L. Detgiz. (66 p.) 28 cm. 1972.

 I like the mix of the Lunokhod 1 rover and the bottom half of the LEM in the painting as they roam the Moon.

 This is the expedition to Mercury (It is OK, we will go at night)

 Expedition to Venus.

 An illustration of some of the ideas about Mars

 An actual Martian expedition

 Observing Jupiter

 Observing Saturn

 Closer to Saturn. Please note the artist in space trying to capture the scene with his paint palette. Space art at its rawest!

 Expedition from earth

 The brave new future in space. (I like the "space bus." Next stop Outer Space.)

Star Travelers (1962)

Another lovely little book about Belka and Strelka. I like the colors chosen and the design. Since this is a "used" children's book please excuse the photoshopped removal of crayon :)

Yakovlev, Yu. Star Travelers. Moscow: Detskiy Mir. 17 cm. (48 p.) 1962.

 This may be my favorite illustration from the book. Dogs in Space!

Welcome to the new space age! (Steering wheel not included)

The World Around Us #5 - The Illustrated Story of Space 1959 "Planet Patter" and "Life on Other Planets"

So here is the last in a series of stories from one of my favorite non-fiction space comics. The World Around Us #5 - The Illustrated Story of Space 1959.

This story is "Planet Patter" and "Life on Other Planets" The artist is Sam Glanzman (Penciller)