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Author Topic:   Artists behind the Apollo mission patches
edorr
Member

Posts: 64
From: Chelmsford, MA
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 05-03-2011 01:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for edorr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was really sorry to lose a recent eBay auction titled "Apollo 12 Mission Patch Designer Lot." I didn't care about the patch; what I wanted was the photo of the artist, Victor Craft.

In fact, I'll extend that further, to apply to photographs of the following artists:

  • Jean Bealieu (Apollo 14)
  • James Cooper (Apollo 11)
  • Victor Craft (Apollo 12)
  • Jerry Elmore (Apollo 15)
  • Barbara Matelski (Apollo 16 and Skylab 3)
  • Gene Rickman (Apollo 8)
  • Norman Tiller (Apollo 13)

spaceman
Member

Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 05-04-2011 06:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceman   Click Here to Email spaceman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I remember purchasing an Apollo 11 patch poster print years ago signed by Jim Cooper. With the poster was a black and white 10x8 of the artist with Michael Collins.

bitsypeaces
New Member

Posts: 1
From: Flintville TN 37335
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 06-14-2011 07:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bitsypeaces   Click Here to Email bitsypeaces     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was doing a search on my grandmother Barbara Matelski who sadly was taken from us two years ago. She would have been so happy at all the interest in the work she and her fellow artists are attracting.

She was a wonderful person and loved her work and shared many stories about her and "the guys." She cherished their time together. They all cut up and had fun while at work.

GoesTo11
Member

Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 06-14-2011 09:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GoesTo11   Click Here to Email GoesTo11     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The mission patches are little portraits of history, and we always love to know and see more about the artists that our astronauts entrusted to realize their ideas and visions.

markbharmon
New Member

Posts: 6
From: Greenville, SC USA
Registered: May 2012

posted 05-15-2012 07:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for markbharmon   Click Here to Email markbharmon     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The artist who painted the Apollo 11 mission patch, James R. Cooper, is my stepfather, and was married to my mother for more than 25 years.

Many don't know this, but when Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins returned from space, Michael Collins took the original Apollo 11 painting, and he and the other two astronauts signed the artwork and gave the original artwork back to my stepfather for him to keep.

Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 05-04-2018 02:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm looking for a list of the designers of the Apollo patches and would like to find out when each patch was presented for the first time (e.g. Apollo 7 patch was designed Allen Stevens of North American Rockwell and shown for the first time in June 1968).

Editor's note: Threads merged.

waa49
Member

Posts: 91
From: Neu-Isenburg, Germany, Hessen
Registered: Sep 2015

posted 05-04-2018 03:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for waa49   Click Here to Email waa49     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The designer names you can find in the book: "Human Space Flight: Mission Patch Handbook" by AeroGraphics.

Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 05-04-2018 05:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Official NASA photos showing the Apollo patches are a good source as these have an official date stamp (e.g. June 1, 1968 for the Apollo 7 patch).

edorr
Member

Posts: 64
From: Chelmsford, MA
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 05-04-2018 03:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for edorr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don't have dates, but for artists and designers, see my site.

KSCartist
Member

Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 05-05-2018 08:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for KSCartist   Click Here to Email KSCartist     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gene, first thank you for your site, a fantastic resource. My question is about Jean Pinaturo. You credit her for ASTP. But its my understanding that US crew patch is based on the McCall painting.

Based on your site info, I am glad that Pinaturo's efforts are recognized.

edorr
Member

Posts: 64
From: Chelmsford, MA
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 05-05-2018 07:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for edorr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The story of the ASTP patch is a tortured one, described pretty fully, I think, on the ASTP page of my site.

For years I thought it was based on the McCall painting, for obvious reasons. And now that you bring it to my attention, it occurs to me that I still have the patch framed with a litho of McCall's painting. Ah well, it's signed by Glynn Lunney, so I suppose that's my excuse.

Explorer1
Member

Posts: 88
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2019

posted 12-21-2019 12:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Explorer1   Click Here to Email Explorer1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There is a considerable amount of variation in the artistic quality and skill in the designs of the Gemini crew patches. And the Apollo patches look as if they may have been drawn by a variety of artists as well.

Does anyone know the process the astronauts followed in getting a crew patch artistically rendered? And was an outside company used to actually make the patches?

Editor's note: Threads merged.

KSCartist
Member

Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 12-27-2019 08:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for KSCartist   Click Here to Email KSCartist     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Apollo patches were hand rendered by various artists with input from the crew.
Many times the crews held competitions with NASA contractors.

Gene Dorr's website offers the best information.

All times are CT (US)

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