Echoes-From-Apollo

Vintage 'Associated Press' Glossy Photo Showing Graphic of Freedom 7's Lift-off, Flight Path,and Splashdown Area With Original Caption Affixed to Reverse

 

Here is another surprisingly pleasant little gem I recently acquired in an online auction. Something about the simplistic, yet informative, 60's graphics drew me to it and luckily I was the only bidder. It also came with a little added bonus that was not shown in the auctions' listing .

Here is how the auction company described the item: 'Vintage Glossy Associated Press 7x9 Press Photo Showing Shepard’s Lift-off, Flight Path, and Splashdown Area With Original Caption Affixed to Reverse'. I thought by 'caption' they meant someone had written something on the back of the photo describing what it was because the first picture below shows the item as listed by the auction company. But when I received the photo, I found out that the 'caption' was actually the piece of paper attached to the photo as seen in the second picture below. The 'caption' is affixed to the back of the picture and, as can be seen, it folds over the front of the picture from back to front. So when it was  folded down off the front of the photo by the auction company, it did not show up in their listing picture.

As can be seen below, this 'caption' indicates that this photo is an 'Associated Press Map', originating from 'New York City', titled 'Where Space Capsule Landed'. The 'caption'  states 'Map Locates Area In Atlantic Ocean Where Mercury Space Capsule Containing Navy Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Landed , May 5, After Successful Launching From Cape Canaveral'. It is dated '5-5-61'.  The following is also stamped on the back of the photo: 'LIBRARY FILED May 15, 1961 NOT USED'.  

Very Cool!!!    

 

 PHOTO
WITHOUT 'CAPTION'

 

 

 

 PHOTO
WITH 'CAPTION' FOLDED OVER FRONT

 

 

 'CAPTION' IN ENTIRETY

  

 

PHOTO BACK

 

Apollo 7 Astronaut Walt Cunninghams' 1970's Era Sony TC-55 'Cassette-Corder'

 

I recently obtained this little gem for my collection. I had seen it for sale for some time and finally gave in and bought it at a good price. It is one of those items you're not quite sure about until it arrives and you see what a cool piece it actually is! It fits right in with what I like to collect: vintage items connected to astronauts and/or the manned space program which have obvious signs of use.

This Sony 'Cassette-Corder' was used by Apollo 7 Astronaut Walt Cunningham in the 1970's to record the original draft of his book 'The All American Boys'. If the below picture of the COA signed by Cunningham wasn't enough confirmation of its' vintage status, all doubt was removed when I opened up the battery compartment!! What a mess!! I believe it still had the original batteries in it, and they had not aged well, leaking their contents all over the inside of the compartment. Cunningham should really think about changing his batteries at least once every 40 years!!!

Once I got the old batteries out, I put some new batteries in but the darned thing would not work. I had to take some sand paper and rub away the corrosion on the battery terminals, replace the batteries, and then the old 'Cassette-Corder' fired right up!! Very cool. Played with it for a couple of days, recording nonsense etc., and then retired it for the time being. This time the batteries were not left in!!

It is pretty cool to think that Cunningham used this item for a couple of years back in the 1970's to record his thoughts which were the basis for his excellent book.

When I bought this item, I also received a Cunningham autographed softcover copy
of his book!! 

FRONT
(MY CASSETTE TAPE IS IN)

 

BACK
(SPEAKER)

 

 TAPE COMPARTMENT OPEN
(A VERY NICE SURPRISE: CUNNINGHAM HAD
AUTOGRAPHED THE INSIDE OF THE
COMPARTMENT COVER)

 

 

AN ORIGINAL INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CAME WITH THE ITEM 

 

 

COA

 

'THE ALL AMERICAN BOYS'

 

 

TITLE PAGE SIGNED BY CUNNINGHAM