Desirable complete set of Collier’s magazines featuring the famous "Man Will Conquer Space Soon!" articles, dated between March 22, 1952 and April 30, 1954. Detailing Wernher von Braun's plans for manned spaceflight, the individual articles were authored by such space notables of the time as Willy Ley, Fred Lawrence Whipple, Dr. Joseph Kaplan, Dr. Heinz Haber, and von Braun, and were illustrated with paintings and drawings by Chesley Bonestell, Fred Freeman, and Rolf Klep.
The issues and articles are as follows:
March 22, 1952: "Man will Conquer Space Soon."
"What are we waiting for?" (editorial)
"Crossing the last frontier." Dr. Wernher von Braun
"A station in space." Willy Ley
"The heavens open." Dr. Fred L. Whipple
"This side of infinity." Dr. Joseph Kaplan
"Can we survive in space?" Dr. Heinz Haber
"Who owns the universe?" Oscar Schachter
"Around the Editor's Desk: Space Quiz."
October 18, 1952: "Man on the Moon."
"Man on the Moon." (Editors)
"The journey." von Braun
"Inside the moon ship." Ley
October 25, 1952: "More about Man on the Moon."
"The exploration." Whipple and von Braun
"Inside the lunar base." Ley
February 28, 1953: "World's First Space Suit."
"Man's survival in space." Cornelius Ryan and the editors
"Picking the men."
March 7, 1953: "More about Man's Survival in Space."
"Testing the men."
March 14, 1953: "How Man Will Meet Emergency in Space Travel."
"Emergency!"
June 27, 1953: "The Baby Space Station: First Step in the Conquest of Space."
"Baby Space Station." von Braun with Ryan
April 30, 1954: "Is There Life on Mars?"
"Is there life on Mars?" Whipple
"Can we get to Mars?" von Braun with Ryan
In overall very good to fine condition, with scattered wear and scuffs to covers and spines.
The Collier’s series drew widespread attention to von Braun’s vision of manned spaceflight—after the success of the first issue, he appeared on TV and radio shows around the nation to discuss the subject. He was soon recruited by Walt Disney, and served as a technical advisor for three TV films about space exploration between 1955 and 1957. These broadcasts brought the idea of the space program into American living rooms nationwide. For the first time, Americans had a vision of space travel not out of Buck Rogers, but grounded in scientific reality as envisioned by the central figure of the coming Space Age.
