Remembering the Space Age. - Black Vault Radio Network (BVRN)

exaMINING the ICONIC aND reDISCOVerING the phOtOGraphY Of 331
SpaCe expLOratION IN CONtext tO the hIStOrY Of phOtOGraphY
surface imagery from apollo 16. It also recalls a staged black-and-white NaSa
Lewis research Center photograph—in the construction spirit of a bonestell—
of an early model of the LeM on a faux lunar surface with stars in a black sky
and a buck rogers style of astronaut. 79
In the photograph that begins the second panorama of the book, the two
astronauts have emerged from their lunar rover and have just discovered the
edwardian’s camp. With the long-coated edwardians’ backs to the camera, the
“apollo” explorers survey the camp’s infrastructure of housed rocks and spacesuited
pets, like a dog and elephant. the visual tone on the lunar surface can be
compared to a black-and-white image of the apollo 16 astronaut John Young. 80
In the photograph Young is just breaking into the right side of the camera
frame and the lunar rover—its antenna aimed towards earth—is parked in
the background of the Descartes region landing site. the two images together
create a contemplative, non-conspiratorial juxtaposition between historical fact
and staged historical fction.
VIII. ChOICeS, traNSItIONS, aND OppOrtUNItIeS
Who built the seven towers of thebes?
the books are flled with the names of kings.
Was it kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone…
In the evening when the Chinese Wall fnished where did
the masons go?
—bertolt brecht 81
the frst 50 years of space exploration has been visualized largely through
the publication of iconic photography, those few identifable and often
repeated images. as I have argued, however, there are other images that exist.
for the most part, these photographs have been largely overlooked or even
undiscovered, and yet they too can be placed alongside these iconic images and
be considered within the context of the history of photography. I have also been
discussing the aesthetics of space exploration photography in terms of landscape,
documentary, and snapshot photography as a means to a visual literacy. how
then can some of these photographs of space exploration be defned as artistic?
the noted landscape photographer robert adams ofers some thought on art
and the making of photographs:
79. See Glenn research Center GrC Image Net:C-1963-65465,“Model of apollo bug to Simulate
Lunar Landing” by bill bowles.
80. See Lunar and planetary Institute Apollo Image Atlas – 70mm Hasselblad Image catalog for apollo
16 http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollo/catalog/70mm/mission/?16.
81. Studs terkel, Working – People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What
They Do (New York, NY:the New press, 1972), p. xxxi.