posted 04-16-2013 02:26 PM               

I have been told that a decal and the postcards with the wives patch printed on it was handed out at the launch by the two of them. (This came from a number of references; on the patch, so I am a bit confused now.)

posted 04-17-2013 04:06 PM               

I do not have the decal-affixed cover, or the number 10 cover, only the astronaut VIP look alike card.

I understand that the wives also had the cards plastered all over the inside of the SL-3 spacecraft for the launch and orbit of the mission. Very clever, huh?!

posted 04-17-2013 04:24 PM               

It was only the decal stickers there were placed, or if you will "hidden," so that the on-orbit SL-3 crewmembers would see them at various locations throughout the flight, and perhaps maybe an actual cloth patch or two!

posted 04-17-2013 05:07 PM               

Ardis Shanks, who was an artist in the Houston area (and Alan Bean's art teacher) drew the female figure. She and French journalist Jacques Tiziou both had patches made from this design, and Tiziou had an astronaut acquaintance secret a number of patches in the Skylab II command module.

An interesting sidelight involves the wives' patch, a "first" that was done without our knowledge. The first time we saw the "wives" patch was when we arrived in orbit and began to open the storage lockers in the Command Module to get our gear out. Neatly pasted to the interior of three of these locker doors were decals of the "wives" patch. This was a great idea and consistent with one of our mottos, "Never lose your sense of humor."

posted 04-17-2013 06:08 PM               

Just for the record, in what Tiziou had told me long ago, "I never did any 'wives' philatelic covers or cards, which I considered just a very personal inside joke."

He goes on to say, "But I have heard of some philatelic activity going on with reproductions of my design, as I know you had brought to my attention earlier."

Regarding the actual patch design, as Tiziou writes a long two-page letter to me about it three decades ago, "I had the idea of the patch, conceived it from a to z, designed and drew all the color selections, BUT not the black and white drawing of the woman."

He also writes about doing a limited number of #10 envelopes or covers. Most of them, he tells me, went to the wives, family, and friends.

Note below that only three "wives" stickers were actually aboard Apollo CM-117/Skylab Orbital Workshop Station.

One of my favorite #10 "Wives" cachet covers from Tiziou that he gave me is signed by him and inscribed:

To Ken, A good friend and an expert of the 'little known things' of the U.S. Space Program, who would appreciate this No. 2 of only 3 envelopes that I produced during the SL-3/Skylab II mission, with the emblem I conceived and designed. Ardis Shanks helped for the drawing of the lady (nicknamed "de Vinci's fiancée" by Jack Lousma). Three such stickers flew on board the Skylab space station, July-Sept. 1973.

Another decal-affixed #10 cover, cancelled for SL-3's mission here at Kennedy, is signed and inscribed:

Dear Ken: Both the expert and the good friend you are deserve this special decal-cachet cover commemorating the new space endurance record established by the crew of SL-3/Skylab II, flying in space with three stickers from the same unique batch as the one on this envelope. I conceived, designed and drew this emblem as the 'First Astronauts' Wives" emblem, with the help of Ardis Shanks for the drawing of 'de Vinci's fiancée,' (the 'nickname' the crew gave to her during the mission).

posted 04-18-2013 11:04 AM               

I too have a copy of the welcome home cover, and it was only the decals put in the spacecraft by the backup crew for the wives and not the cards for a bit of fun (love that).

posted 03-14-2021 04:26 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by butch wilks:
I'd love to see all you have on the patch Ken, please do a bit for us please.

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The only unofficial wives production is the blue-ink printed VIP postcard seen at the bottom in the photo frame. It was a later SL-3 mission commercial production done by a German space cover dealer, as noted above in a prior posting.

posted 04-16-2021 04:48 AM               

I only have two decals signed by the wives, however, I don't think that Jacques had too many of the stickers signed by either of the crew or their wives, or both groups together.

posted 04-16-2021 04:12 PM            

There's something about the date of the cancelation that's significant, but I didn’t write it down, and can't for the life of me remember what it was. Maybe you can shed some light on that?