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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 117 (January 27, 2007)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 01-27-2007 04:17 AM
   
 The Apollo-1 backup crew let their fingers do the talking to indicate how they feel about their stand-in duties. Left to right in the front row are prime crew astronauts Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee. Behind them their backups Dave Scott, Jim McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart. This photo was made in April 1966. In November of that year the backup crew was assigned a mission of their own, which later became Apollo-9. The new backup crew consisted of Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walt Cunningham. Today it is 40 years ago that Grissom, White and Chaffee were killed in the launch pad fire at Cape Kennedy on January 27, 1967. Ed Hengeveld |
User997
Member Posts: 59
From:
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 01-27-2007 06:35 AM
Great photo.Ed, I've always been curious what means you've used to have collected such a wide variety of rare NASA photos over the year? |
heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 01-27-2007 08:22 AM
My photo files were started in the early 1980s as I was covering the Shuttle program for Dutch media. During the STS-1 mission I visited KSC, JSC and Rockwell in Palmdale and Downey. I met a lot of people then, who continued to help me over the years.I don't specifically collect rare NASA-photos. The photos in my files were requested over the years to use as illustrations for my articles and were carefully catalogued for future use. I also supplied photos for books and articles by numerous other authors. NASA does a great job of making photos of recent Shuttle missions available to the public, but their public affairs people simply don't have the time to research the older projects. So in recent years I took on the voluntary assignment to assemble as much photos of the US manned space program as possible, to preserve them for future generations. Of course the internet has helped me exchange photos with other writers and/or collectors. Many of my photos were made available to others through Kipp Teague's ApolloArchive site. So the 'Photo of the week' feature is a side-effect of these activities. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 01-27-2007 09:04 AM
Wow! Smiling astronauts and politically incorrect gestures! I almost fell off my chair! Great photo! Thanks, Ed. |
art540
Member Posts: 432
From: Orange, California USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 01-27-2007 10:24 AM
I have always wondered if the lack of a working filing system has hampered archives in their searches - categories and a "common sense" numbering system... |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2121
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-27-2007 06:55 PM
I must say, I thought I had seen all of the goofy shots taken during the Gemini/Apollo era but this is a new one to me.Many thanks Ed for adding a new dimension to the my outlook on these guys. I thought that straight laced NASA would have destroyed anything like this but it's good to see that it survived. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2121
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-28-2007 09:02 AM
I wonder if the Apollo 1 crew were aware of what was happening behind them, or if they only found out when they saw the prints.I bet it caused a lot of laughter when they saw the prints anyway. |
413 is in
Member Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 01-28-2007 01:41 PM
If the Apollo 1 crew was aware of this at the time of the photo shoot I would be very surprised as they seem extremely intent on putting their best face forward for this photo. I'm wondering if this was a totally impromptu response by the backup crew at the time of the photo or if it was somehow coordinated beforehand. Was the photographer in on the deal? Either way one has to wonder, was it Scott, McDivitt or Schweickart that got the ball rolling? Many laughs were had over this I'm sure. |
ringo67
Member Posts: 179
From: Seekonk, Mass., USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 02-18-2007 03:06 AM
Thanks for the photos, Ed. I wish I had found out about these little treats earlier.This photo reminds me of an Apollo 1 photo I found while a year ago while writing a piece for a Challenger tribute. Grissom, White and Chaffee were wearing foul weather hats (I don't know what they're called) and the command module model was upside down in front of them. It was signed and the inscription said something to the effect of "Which one of these are we supposed to ride?" As sad as the 40 year anniversary was, I like thinking of them as average guys with healthy senses of humor. |
Paul23
Member Posts: 836
From: South East, UK
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 06-19-2009 07:09 AM
This is a great picture, one I wish I'd known about when Jim McDivitt came over last year.Just for the sake of interest, has anyone tried getting one of these signed before, wondered if any of the surviving crew members would have a problem signing it now? |
collocation
Member Posts: 383
From: McLean, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-19-2009 11:06 AM
In respect to the folks that are deceased within the picture, I think it would be out of line to ask a person to autograph such a picture. |
Paul23
Member Posts: 836
From: South East, UK
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 06-19-2009 12:10 PM
That was my initial thought but I noticed someone had mentioned it above and wondered if anyone had tried. |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 06-20-2009 04:55 AM
Yep, a couple of Turtles there. |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 552
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 06-21-2009 01:21 PM
I don't think a signed example would be disrespectful. I think it's images like these that show the true heart of the program. Clearly, the photo was taken as a joke and it shows the all the people involved loved their jobs. I know the photo displays a crude gesture...but these are images of the astronauts being astronauts and having a good time. I'm sure Gus, Ed, and Roger enjoyed this photo more than most of those taken and as a result see no problem with it getting signed. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 06-21-2009 04:07 PM
I bet if Gus were alive today he'd have a framed copy of that picture hanging up somewhere! |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 552
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 06-22-2009 05:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Delta7:
I bet if Gus were alive today he'd have a framed copy of that picture hanging up somewhere!
My thoughts exactly.  ...and I'm sure he'd love to sign one for you.
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