Posts:
From:
Registered:

posted 11-04-2013 11:31 AM               

---

I am a photographer working on a project loosely based around the end of the shuttle program and its effects on Titusville and the rest of the Space Coast. I am looking to photograph sites that reflect the areas history as the epicenter of the space program as well as the effects on the economy the end of the program has had.

Last spring I visited Titusville and photographed an Atlas V launch, the Miracle City Mall, the Space Walk Hall of Fame, KSC and made some portraits.

I am not making a strictly documentary project (as you can see from the subject choices) but rather trying to capture a feel of an area and its connection to its past. I would really appreciate any suggestions you can pass on regarding interesting people, places or things to photograph when I return next week. Thanks in advance! — Rob

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-04-2013 11:57 AM               

---

I'm not sure I would categorize Titusville or the surrounding areas as ever having been the epicenter of the nation's space program, although the area drew considerable public attention during the launches. Much of the decision making, and even activity (from astronaut training to rocket and spacecraft construction), was done elsewhere.

But that's open to interpretation.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that despite some media reports to the contrary, sites like Miracle City Mall and other Titusville establishments were in decline long before the space shuttle came to an end and therefore shouldn't necessarily be linked to the end of the program.

Those first visiting the area in the last two years or so may assume that the shuttered businesses are the result of the shuttle's absence — some store owners even claiming such — but many of those same places were looking just about the same as their current condition in 2005 and earlier.

In any case, with regards to your question, do you have interest in photographing the Cape Canaveral side of activities? The old pads and like? If so, you might consider the Air Force Space and Missile History Center and the "Cape Canaveral: Then and Now" tour offered through the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (there was a free tour provided by Patrick Air Force Base, but it is canceled due to sequestration).

Posts:
From:
Registered:

posted 11-04-2013 12:51 PM               

---

Thanks for your reply Robert,

I guess epicenter was a stretch. Also, your points about Titusville's economic decline predating the end of the shuttle program are well taken. As of now the project is in its nascent phase so getting feedback from people like yourself will really help shape the final outcome.

I am planning on the Then and Now tour.

Thanks again!

Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 11-04-2013 02:58 PM               

---

Hello, and welcome to cS from a fellow New Yorker! I can confirm Robert's comment about the Titusville area being in decline long before the last shuttle mission; I attended a launch in 1997 and stayed in Titusville and visited the mall mentioned in the post above. Very little traffic, and this was a long time before the shuttle's end. Then again, tourism depends on many factors and the state of the economy at the time.

As for subjects for your photo project; be sure to look into the other areas surrounding the Cape and KSC, like Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and the surrounding towns of the space coast. Other threads in the Space Places and Space Workers forums covered the hotels, businesses and support industries that sprang up in the 60s during the space race's heyday. You can make a whole portfolio out of the hotels and motels that sported names and motifs like Orbit Motel and Satellite Inn, and if any are still around today. Good luck with your project!

Posts:
From:
Registered:

posted 11-06-2013 10:45 AM               

---

Thanks for the welcome and the info.

I've spent a lot of time photographing out in Staten Island by the way. Old motels would be great but judging from my last visit, most of those places are gone. The closest I got was the Space Shuttle suite at the Titusville Best Western (which was great) I will certainly research more.

I originally scheduled this trip to coincide with a Delta IV launch that was happening on the 12th, but that got delayed so I have extra time to just explore.