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Author
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Topic: Displays for space artifacts: Ideas and examples
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wmk
Member Posts: 70
From: Carlsbad, CA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted August 04, 2011 07:18 AM
   
I own several Apollo items, but very few of them are on display (mostly because I just have not had the time, but also because I have not decided how to display some of them). I have seen some very nice displays that people have shared on this forum and what I often find appealing are displays that help tell a story of provide additional context by including multiple items in a display. For example, not just a display of a single item like a flown flight page, but including other items that complement it - like a photo from the mission or better yet a photo of a crew member using the checklist that contained the flown page. Most of what I have in mind are items that can be framed, but I'd like to open up this discussion to other display types as well (say hardware or 3D displays or finding ways to combine flat objects with 3D objects). I do think certain items are best displayed alone and that combining multiple items can sometimes get cluttered or even take away from a central item, but I would love to see what other collectors have done. There have been some really creative displays for multiple and single items (for example, see Dave Scott's observation window from AS-201 and Scott Schneeweis' energized Lunar Module panel assembly. I'd like to invite people to share their displays and display ideas - I'm sure there are some really great ones out there! Thanks for sharing... |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1046
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted August 04, 2011 08:13 AM
I am one who likes to make a "big display" to tell the story behind an artifact. Here is a flown piece of space shuttle Columbia's floor. It flew on 7 missions, hence the associated patches. It was removed to make room for additional crew seats, hence the (small) photo of astronauts floating above the flooring before removal. You can see more of these types of presentation on my website, spacegary.com. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1246
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted August 04, 2011 09:17 AM
Hopping onto this topic, I'm looking for a freestanding display case/cabinet with shelves that would be appropriate for displaying models and mementos. I would like acrylic rather than glass, to provide some UV protection. Is there a cabinet that anyone recommends? |
Spaceguy5
Member Posts: 159
From: Pampa, TX, US
Registered: May 2011
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posted August 04, 2011 08:21 PM
Just the other day, I made this display for an AFRSI blanket which flew on Discovery. I'm thinking about also throwing in a patch or two, and I should probably replace the ziplock bag (A ziplock is mandatory given the nature of the blankets--the bag it came in has lots of loose dust particles which cloud the bag. The previous owner must have been a little too rough with it).Right now I'm also playing around with display ideas for an HRSI tile. I think I may need to scratch build a box for it.  |
Spaceguy5
Member Posts: 159
From: Pampa, TX, US
Registered: May 2011
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posted August 07, 2011 02:54 AM
Here's a display I just finished making for my HRSI tile. I haven't put it in an acrylic case yet, but I have one coming soon. Pretty much the base is made out of cheap styrofoam which I covered with plastic bags and electrical tape (to keep foam particles contained. The bag is also much less damaging on the tile) before covering in paper. The base has a very tight fit on the tile (as tight as I could make it without damaging the tile) so it should also help protect it. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1046
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted August 07, 2011 06:14 AM
Could you post more shots of your tile display? It looks great but I don't understand the plastic bag/paper reference. Post the words on the front too. And are the orbiter graphics from Shuttle paper airplanes? Thank you. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 1821
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted August 07, 2011 04:06 PM
Here is a shot of my Apollo 17 lunar flown checklist page in it's display. The components of the display can be seen better here as well as shots of Gene Cernan signing the item. |
Spaceguy5
Member Posts: 159
From: Pampa, TX, US
Registered: May 2011
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posted August 07, 2011 04:37 PM
Here's a picture of the display without the tile in place. Note that on the area where the tile rests, there's a plastic trash bag. That's the only part of the display that the tile will actually touch. If I had made it out of foam or paper, the rough surface may have damaged the tile as they are quite fragile (the bottom of the tile has no covering. If I just set it on a rough surface, there will be powder residue when I pick it up). Since the tile has a very, very tight fit, a smooth surface like plastic is perfect as it causes no damage. The plastic also helps contain dust from the foam I used (Which I have a block of on the right). The foam is easy to carve and form, but just touching it releases dust. I don't want green dust getting all over the tile and the display case.On the outerlayer, I glued on black construction paper. Under that is 1-2 layers of electric tape covering the entire surface (except the tile area).  Also, here's a high-resolution picture of the front. Just right-click and select 'view picture.' The information card printed out less readable than it appeared in Photoshop so I may have to remake it. The text reads: "HRSI tiles are part of the Orbiter’s thermal protection system. They are designed to protect parts of the orbiter from temperatures up to 2300° F. The tiles are made out of high-purity silica fibers with a black glass coating, and are 90% air. The tiles dissipate heat so efficiently that an uncoated tile can be held by its edges with a bare hand while its interior is still glowing hot." The shuttle diagrams are from a TPS chart that shows the location of HRSI, LRSI, AFRSI, FRSI, RCC, Glass, and exposed metal for the current orbiters (all the charts I saw on Google were for Columbia and Challenger).  |
joe bruce
Member Posts: 81
From: Spokane, WA U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted August 07, 2011 06:45 PM
I have posted some photos of displays I have done for some of my pieces. The Expedition 9 piece is a drawing I did and sent it to ISS through Florian Noller. The electronic picture frame changes photo every few seconds telling the story of my drawing. If you look at the second photo you can see my piece floating in the Russian segment of ISS. The shuttle cockpit piece is in a display with my 1/72 Discovery I built several years ago and took to the national IPMS convention in Seattle. The piece of the cockpit panel I have wired to light when I enter my room in my basement. This piece is dated 1977 so it is early shuttle. The Al Bean piece is a painting I did with impressions of pieces from my collection in the paste medium then I added one of Al Bean's paint brushes. The Russian glove display is a letter from Tsiolkovsky written around 1913. I hope this helps you with some ideas.  
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Gilbert
Member Posts: 784
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted August 07, 2011 08:37 PM
Wow! This is turning into a very entertaining thread. |
saturn1b
Member Posts: 104
From: Westcliffe, CO
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted August 11, 2011 03:49 PM
I agree with Gilbert, this is a good thread with lots of good ideas. I've posted some of our displays elsewhere but this is a great thread to add them to. Here's a shot of our Space Shuttle tile:  And a life vest:  An F-1 LOX Inlet Cover:  It sits on a turntable so it can be viewed all the way around:  I tend to go for the industrial look with all the bolts and gantry bases. I appreciate seeing some of your ideas a lot. Might just have to borrow some of them. Keep 'em coming. |
David Carey
Member Posts: 147
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted August 11, 2011 07:02 PM
Below is a montage of Apollo 13 items, made before acquiring the pieces on the floor. Basically a shadow-box containing a framed ex-Gibson crew-signed cover, a Fred Haise certification letter for the flown cocoa pack housed in a custom-cut foam core frame, and the framed in-situ NASA photo of the ex-NASM large flown storage pouch displayed at the bottom on a shelf. I'll likely scan the Haise letter and put a small copy in the upper right corner of the foam-core, leaving room inside for the signed Aquarius Netting card presentation shown on the floor. The ex-Slayton Apollo 13 heatshield plug is too thick to fit within the depth of the shadow-box unfortunately. It will either 'live outside', or I'll have to remove the shadow-box glass. Perhaps I'll just start over, as sometimes the display-build is part of the fun - great items/ideas elsewhere in this thread... (Sorry for the hurried Photoshopping to hide my office chair and other junk behind the shadow-box)  |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 1916
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted August 12, 2011 02:40 AM
Superb Apollo 13 display David. Did you acquire the flown food pack at auction or diretly from Fred? |
David Carey
Member Posts: 147
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted August 12, 2011 09:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
Superb Apollo 13 display David. Did you acquire the flown food pack at auction or diretly from Fred?
Thanks Rick - a little of both I suppose; it was consigned directly by Fred Haise to auction, with monies targeted at least in part to funding for the Infinity Science Center. |
saturn1b
Member Posts: 104
From: Westcliffe, CO
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted August 14, 2011 03:18 PM
We finished our F-1 display this weekend. In the last post, you saw the LOX Inlet Cover on it's turntable display. We connected it together with a Fuel Manifold Boot display case. It sits tilted forward on a mirrored base. A curved back board with photos of the Saturn V, the F-1's and close ups of the boot location connect the two cases. I think I'm spending more on displays than I am on artifacts! |
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