Collection of 23 vintage glossy NASA photographs from the Mercury program, ranging in size from 5 x 7.5 to 10.5 x 8, documenting the crew, the personnel, the spacecraft, and other notable events that helped spearhead America’s first manned space missions. The assemblage includes eight black-numbered examples, with the reverse of seven bearing NASA caption text or stamps; of the unnumbered examples, a total of 11 have NASA caption text, and three others, each depicting John Glenn in his space suit, are identified as a “NASA-USAF Photo.” Additionally, the reverse of seven photos feature “Return to: Chronicle Files” stamps, two bear “Library, Houston Post” stamps, and two have “Reference, N.E.A” stamps. Numerous photos also feature annotations or affixed stickers or clippings to the reverse.
Photo subjects include (with some duplicates): a portrait of Glenn wearing a suit and posing with a lunar globe; the old Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral; Glenn secured in his Friendship 7 spacecraft; NASA physician Dr. W. K. Douglas praying for the safe return of John Glenn; Gordon Cooper in his pressure suit admiring his Faith 7 capsule; the launch of Cooper’s Mercury-Atlas 9 rocket; the oceanic recovery of Alan Shepard following his successful and historic Freedom 7 mission; Cooper jogging on the Cape Canaveral beach with the Saturn launch pad looming in the background; the launch of Gus Grissom and his Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft; the Mercury-Atlas 8 spacecraft being raised to its launch position atop Atlas 113-D, and more. In overall very good to fine condition, with clipped corners, wear to edges, and some light creasing.
