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Author
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Topic: Mercury astronauts and model Suzy Parker
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-30-2016 11:05 AM
   
The grandson of model Suzy Parker has shared on Reddit a photo of his grandmother with Gus Grissom, Alan Shepard and John Glenn taken on Sept. 14, 1959. He does not explain why they were photographed together.It is not clear if this is a known photo, if it was published or if it is a personal photo.  |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 12-31-2016 01:35 PM
John Glenn never lost that magnetism he had.  |
Headshot
Member Posts: 864
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 12-31-2016 02:28 PM
I can't put it into words, but to me there is something just not right about this image. I am very curious about the circumstances under which it was allegedly taken. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1047
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 12-31-2016 03:03 PM
September 59 is not too much early for those suits? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-31-2016 04:08 PM
The decision to use the Goodrich Mark IV as the foundation for the Mercury suits was announced on July 22, 1959, according to "Dressing for Altitude" by Dennis Jenkins. By March the following year, NASA had ordered 21 of the modified suits for Project Mercury.So it would seem the date of the photo may be off; I've sent a note to the Reddit user who posted the photo asking how he knows it was taken in September 1959. |
PeterO
Member Posts: 399
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 12-31-2016 04:49 PM
Wasn't it very unusual for more than one astronaut to be suited up at the same time? I recall that the photo of all seven in their suits was the only time they were all suited up together. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-31-2016 05:31 PM
I heard back from the Reddit user: I'm not entirely confident in that — my family isn't sure when the photo was taken, and the date I got came from a google search. I'll be seeing Suzy's husband next month, though, and I'll see if I can find something more definitive. |
tlifan2
Member Posts: 38
From: Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Registered: Feb 2014
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posted 12-31-2016 07:29 PM
Looks like the photo was taken at Langley Field on March 31, 1961. Richard Avedon was going to photograph the astronauts and brought along Suzy Parker. Here's more info. As an enticement to the three he brought along Suzy Parker, who by this time had starred in several Hollywood movies. We flew down to Norfolk, where I rented a car and drove us to the Air Force Base. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-31-2016 07:36 PM
Your Google-fu is strong! All my searches came up empty. Great find; I've passed along the link to the photo's owner. |
lunarexplorer
Member Posts: 13
From: Albany Western Australia
Registered: Dec 2012
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posted 12-31-2016 08:24 PM
quote:
Originally posted by tlifan2:
Richard Avedon was going to photograph the astronauts and brought along Suzy Parker.
He also took this more familiar photo of the three astronauts from the National Museum of American History.Interesting story by Earle Steinbicker about the shoot, which might not have happened if Alan Shepard hadn't fixed a little power problem. |
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