TLS signed "Sincerely, Edward K. Thompson," two pages, 7.25 x 11, Life letterhead, April 9, 1959. Letter to the prospective astronauts of Project Mercury, in full: "This is a preliminary pitch by Life made with the object of eventually obtaining exclusive rights to your reports on Project Mercury. We will of course get down to details later but I thought you all might want to think about an outline of the way we have been thinking. Basically we think it makes sense to specify an over-all sum which we would pay to the group of seven astronauts for story rights up to and including the first successful orbital flight. This could work like this: We would pay part of the total sum at once, part later on in the project and the rest upon completion of the first successful orbital flight. As you probably know, stories like those you will be able to tell have value beyond first magazine publication. They may become books, for instance, and bring in more money. Sometimes we contract for magazine rights alone, sometimes (as with President Truman memoirs) we buy all rights in one package by paying a larger sum. One form or another of a package deal for all rights seems to make most sense for both sides. For instance, we will provide skilled writers to help you with the magazine material and they can go on to complete the full scale book or books as well. We can assess the price of the subsidiary rights in two ways. We can either include this in the total payment or we can handle the other rights on your behalf on a mutually agreeable arrangement. Money is of course the tangible thing we will be talking about and we don't intend to let that factor prevent us from reaching an agreement. But I don't think I am being naïve in calling attention to a couple intangibles. Life is by far the most frequent popular publisher of serious science stories, so you know that your reports will be handled accurately. We will not allow the gee-whiz angle to overwhelm the great scientific contribution you are making. And our readers have been educated to understand what you will say. I hope this all work out. It will be an honor for Life, which specializes in great events, to include your experiences in the company of Winston Churchill and The World We Live In." In fine condition, with two staple holes. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. On September 14, 1959, the astronauts of Project Mercury appeared on the front cover of Life Magazine, introducing the septet to the American public as the first human beings to leave planet Earth. Their cover shot made the men instant celebrities, and, thanks to an exclusive contract with Life for $500,000, also handsomely paid. Written on the very same day that NASA announced its seven astronauts, this phenomenal letter marks the beginning to a partnership that helped galvanize the nation's curiosity in space travel and the forthcoming space race with the Soviet Union.
