Content Description
The Charles L. Soellner NASA Collection illustrates the early space programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This collection, which dates from 1959 to 1975, consists of photographs, photochemical prints, newspaper clippings, and assorted ephemera documenting the first manned spaceflights accomplished by the United States. Many of the images were produced by NASA and the collection gives a visual representation of how the organization promoted these programs and the evolution of spaceflight.
Soellner assembled much of the materials in scrapbooks. For preservation purposes and ease of access the albums have been disassembled and the documents are now grouped by subject matter and arranged chronologically by mission. The bulk of the materials are photographs and photochemical prints related to the Gemini and Apollo programs. The images captured are astronaut solo and group portraits, such as Donn F. Eisele, Walter M. Schirra, and Walter Cunning from Apollo 7. In addition, there are images of astronauts in outer space, launches, and views of Earth.
The arrangement begins with the Gemini missions and then the first crewed flight of Apollo 7. The sequence continues to Apollo 17, Apollo-Soyuz and the Skylab program. There is a large set of professional portraits of astronauts that worked for NASA during the 1960s. Some of the portraits have been autographed by the astronauts. Included with the collection are clippings, predominantly regarding Skylab.
Dates
- Creation: 1959-1975
Creator
- Soellner, Charles L., 1922-2005 (Person)
Language of Materials
All materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Biographical Note: Charles L. Soellner
Charles L. Soellner was born in Minnesota on September 19, 1922. In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Air Corps during World War II. Soellner had an interest in manned spaceflight and created scrapbooks of photographs and lithographs he collected over the years. Charles Soellner passed away in Seattle, Washington on November 11, 2005.
No further information is known.
Extent
.4 Cubic Feet (1 5-inch letter size document box)
Overview
The Charles L. Soellner NASA Collection documents the space programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The documents date from 1959 to 1975. The bulk of the materials are photographs and photomechancial prints mass-produced by NASA. The visual documentation and ephemera related to manned spaceflight missions were collected and assembled together in scrapbooks by Soellner.
Arrangement
The donation included six scrapbooks and a folder containing various photographs and photomechanical prints related to NASA manned spaceflight missions. There was not a specific theme to each individual scrapbook or chronological order. To make the collection more accessible to researchers and address preservation needs of the materials, the Processing Archivist dismantled the scrapbooks and organized the documents by specific space missions, portraits of astronauts, and a clippings file. The NASA spaceflight missions have been arranged chronologically and the assorted portraits of astronauts have been alphabetized.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Separated Materials
The following book has been separated from the archival component of this collection and is kept in the Library:
- Simmons, Gene. On the moon with Apollo 17: a guidebook to Taurus-Littrow. Washington: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1972.
- Simmons, Gene. On the moon with Apollo 16: a guidebook to the Descartes region. Washington: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1972.
- … for the benefit of all mankind. General Electric.
- Apollo 17 at Taurus Littrow. Washington: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, [1973].
- NASA Facts. Washington: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, [1973].
- assorted NASA reports.
Subject
- Aldrin, Buzz (Person)
- Anders, William A. (William Alison), 1933- (Person)
- Apollo Soyuz Test Project (Organization)
- Armstrong, Neil, 1930-2012 (Person)
- Bean, Alan, 1932-2018 (Person)
- Borman, Frank, 1928- (Person)
- Brand, Vance (Person)
- Cernan, Eugene (Person)
- Collins, Michael, 1930- (Person)
- Gordon, Richard F., Jr. (Person)
- Haise, Fred, 1933- (Person)
- Kubasov, Valeri Nikolayevich, 1935-2014 (Person)
- Leonov, A. A. (Alekseĭ Arkhipovich), 1934- (Person)
- Mitchell, Edgar D. (Person)
- Project Apollo (U.S.) (Organization)
- Project Gemini (U.S.) (Organization)
- Shepard, Alan B. (Alan Bartlett), 1923-1998 (Person)
- Skylab Program (Organization)
- Slayton, Donald K., 1924-1993 (Person)
- Stafford, Thomas P. (Person)
- Swigert, John L. (John Leonard), 1931-1982 (Person)
- United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Charles L. Soellner NASA Collection
- Status
- Completed Level 3
- Author
- C. Dinges
- Date
- 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
- Edition statement
- 1st edition
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org