Space Exploration Posters and Lithographs Collection

Collection

Identifier: 2019-00-00-125

Contents of the Collection

The Space Exploration Posters and Lithographs Collection consists of oversize textual and visual materials relating to the aerospace industry from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. Within the collection are examples of educational posters, commemorative posters, lithographs, and reproductions of artwork depicting scenes of space, lunar surface exploration, rocketry, astronauts, and spacecraft. The majority of the materials in the collection are centered on United States and NASA related-projects with emphasis on Apollo-era missions, with space exploration by other countries being less well represented. A large amount of the materials was produced by aerospace agencies and copmanies such as the Boeing Company and Rockwell International. This collection is divided into four series by subject: Assorted, Space Artwork, Boeing, and Lunar Surface.

The Assorted series contains materials on a variety of subjects that do not fit within the themes of the other series. Subjects here include spacecraft, astronauts, the solar system, informational charts, space related military items, and commemorative posters. Also included in this series is a packet of planning documents for the creation of a space museum at the California Museum of Science and Industry.

The Space Artwork series consists of lithographic reproduction prints of artworks with space themes. These items are artistic interpretations of spacecraft, astronauts, launch pads, planets, as well as other conceptual artworks. Artists represented in the Space Artwork include are C. Bennett, Paul Calle, Lamar Dodd, Fred Freeman, Peter Hurd, Billy Morrow Jackson, Mitchell Jamieson, Craig Kavafes, Hugh Laidman, Franklin McMahon, Pat Rawlings, Nicholas Solovioff, Fred Takasumi, George A. Weymouth, and James Wyeth.

The Boeing series contains representations of spacecraft and space materials created by The Boeing Company. This includes rockets, satellites, missiles, and commemorative posters. Noteable subject matter includes the LGM-30 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile, the Lunar Orbiter, the Saturn V rocket, and the Apollo missions.

The Lunar Surface series is a small series with images that focus on the surface of the Moon.

Dates

Creation: 1961-2006

Language of Materials

The collection contains one group of posters in Russian. The remainder of the materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research but has not been fully processed. Some materials may need additional processing before researcher use. Please contact us for details.

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.

Extent

2 Cubic Feet (4 oversize folders, 1 oversize box (16x20x3"); 1 oversize box (20x24x3"); 1 oversize box (24x32x3"))

Additional Description

Abstract

The Space Exploration Posters and Lithographs Collection is an artifical collection consisting of oversize textual and visual materials relating to aerospace, rocketry, astronauts, and the National Air and Space Administration (NASA), ranging from 1961-2006.

Custodial History

As an artificial collection, these materials were collected and acquired through a variety of sources. Provenance information has not been maintained for all items.

Accruals

This collection is expected to grow.

Processing Information

Processing work done prior to 2024 by archives staff included adding some materials to acid-free folders. In 2024, the archives staff began a review to bring the collection up to current best practices and to bring various artificial collections and "found-in-collection" items together. Excessive duplicates were removed. Materials were placed in acid-free folders, separated by archival tissue paper as needed, and arranged in order by series.