Cool Robot Lamp
February 1, 2009
This sweet little guy is from the 1960’s. I’m dying to get my hands on one of these!
Motel Signs of the Space Age
February 1, 2009
I love all of these old motel and hotel signs from the space age. I found these on Flickr.
UFO & Rocket Inspired Design of the Space Age
January 25, 2009
The Space Age Museum has a great collection of UFO, rocket, and space craft inspired design. Check out some of my favorites below.
Orbit Rocket Toothpaste Tube
Electric Fan by Wonder-Aire - 1960's
Flying Saucer Tea Kettle - 1960's
Flying Saucer Table Lamp by Torino - 1970's
Infant Walker - Baby's Flying Saucer - 1950's
Electric Cooker - Party Chef by Cory - 1960's
Flying Saucer Ashtrays by Space Age Products - 1960's
Vacuum Cleaner by Hoover - 1970's
Rocket Bicycle by Monarch
Rocket Lawn Sprinkler by Allen Mfg
The Modernists – Designing the Space Age
January 15, 2009
Playboy brought the greatest minds of furniture design together for this amazing photograph which ran in the July 1961 issue. It’s almost as good as the center fold. I found this on Schniederism.
From left to right: George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames and Jens Risom, each with their iconic designs.
How and Why Wonder Books
January 13, 2009
I found all of these great How and Why Wonder Books from the 1960’s – 1970’s on Rocket Roberts. I love the artwork and illustrations on the cover. Kids must have had a blast reading these. Below are some of my favorite.
Robots and Electronic Brains
Airplanes and the Story of Flight
Atomic Energy
Beginning Science
Chemistry
Electricity
Famous Scientists
The Microscope
Oceanography
Planets and Interpanetary Travel
Rockets and Missiles
Science Experiments
Stars
The Moon
Fallout Shelters – All the Rage in the Space Age
January 2, 2009
I found these great old fallout shelter photographs, drawings, and brochures. The fallout shelters were popularized during the Cold War era. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy and the Federal Government started the Community Fallout Shelter Program. Below are some images from the LIFE archive and Flickr. The images from the “Fallout Shelter Handbook” were borrowed from Ward-o-Matic, he’s got some more great scans from the book here.
Cover of LIFE magazine - January 12, 1962
A mock up bomb shelter from LIFE Magazine
Presentation of items to bring along to your very own fallout shelter
Do it yourself and build your own shelter with this brochure!
Another "Build-it-Yourself" fallout shelter book
Shelter circa 1955
Business Executive, Keith S. McHugh, arguing the advantages of fallot shelters for every home with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller - LIFE archive 1960
Bomb Shelter circa 1963
Fall out shelter circa 1961
A "do-it-yourself" shelter sketch
Advertisement for fall out shelter and a nuclear survival guide
An advertisement for shelter beds
Early Satellites and Space Exploration
December 31, 2008
I found these amazing photographs of my favorite early satellites in the LIFE photography archive and on the N.S.A.’s official website. I love the design and shapes of the early satellites.
Scientists at Igy conference viewing Sputnik models - August 1958
Smithsonian Observatory scientists Fred Whipple and J. Allen Hynek plotting orbit of Sputnik I on globe at MIT - 1957
Dr. William H. Pickering, Dr. James A. van Allen, & Dr. Wernher von Braun hold a model of the Explorer I satellite which launched 4 months after Sputnik - 1958
Oscilloscope tracking position and speed of Explorer satellite through a pattern made by interaction of signals from the satellite and standard radio signals.
Dr. A.L. Jones, scientist at Ohio Satellite Tracking Station with analog computer which gives appropriate orbit position of space satellites - 1962
Dr. Milton W. Rosen with John T. Mengel, Project Director J. P. Walsh, Lieut Commander J. W. Salter and Project Director John P. Hagen - Scientists working on US man-made satellite. John P. Hagen is the best with his bowtie and pipe.
Scientist Alexander Simkovich working on a US artificial satellite - April 1957
Scientist Alexander Simkovich working on a US artificial satellite - April 1957
First image of earth from satellite, from Explorer 6: sunlight hitting clouds over central Pacific Ocean - 1959
Colonel Harold Brown (C) w. Dr. Hans Ziegler (L), John Licht (2R) and Dr. Harold Zahl (R) with US weather satellite ready for launching - 1959
Iowa State University professor George H. Ludwig placing a tape recorder in a model of an American satellite - May 1957
Scientists with the Transit I-B navigational satellite - April 1960
Dr. William H. Pickering of the Jet Propulsion Lab standing with mock-up of Army satellite - 1957
Dr. Richard W. Porter, of the Natonal Academy of Sciences, at press conference talking about satellite model, Explorer II - March 1958
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Earth'S Satellite 1957
Scientist with Earth'S Satellite - 1957
The GRAB II (Galactic Radiation And Background) satellite and the Poppy satellite models - Launched in 1960
Poppy I
Poppy II
AT&T stockholder Mrs. Louise Bucker looking at full-size model of the Telstar experimental communications satellite - AT&T's Bell Laboratories 1960
The satellites were so popular in the early 1960’s, that pop group “The Tornados” wrote a song called “Telstar”. The rumor at the time was that the song included “space-like” sounds because a signal was sent to up the Telstar Satellite and re-recorded on earth.
"The Tornados" with "Telstar" on the cover of "Ridin" the Wind". "Telstar" was also the name of their hit song from this album in 1962
You can hear the song below along with some great early space exploration images.
The Space Age Pin-up
December 29, 2008
From the 1955 "Miss Flying Saucer Contest" in Centerboro New York
More Great Space Age Architecture
December 29, 2008
Here are a few more of my favorite space age buildings in addition to the Jested Tower:
The Space Needle in Seatle - 1962 World's Fair
Capital Tower in Hollywood CA - 1955-1956
CN Tower in Toronto - Designed in 1968
Bubble House, France - 1968 Designed by achitect Antti Lovag
The interior of Lovag's Bubble House
My new Office - Image from the 1964 LA Times
Airline Luggage Tags of the Past
December 28, 2008
I just got back to the states yesterday. I’ve been on so many airplanes and in so many airports this past week, I thought I would share some of these amazing vintage airline luggage tags that I love. I found these on Ebay and Locomobilia.
Cohata Airlines of Haiti
DNL Air Lines of Norway
Iberia Air Lines of Spain (These Iberia stickers are by far my favorites)
Iberia Air Lines
Iberia Air Lines
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Air Lines
B.O.A.C. Air Lines - You can fly on the Comet Jetliner!
KLM Air Lines
Scandinavian Air Lines
Varig Air Lines
Air Qantas to Teheran
Air Qantas to Karachi
Air France
Scandinavian Air Lines to Japan
Japan Air Lines
Cuba Airways
Garuda Air of Indonesia
Frontier Airlines
Just for fun, here is a picture of my view from the airplane window:
The Invisible Agent 
