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Author
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Topic: Skylab II 'Wives' postcard, cacheted cover
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butch wilks Member Posts: 336 From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 04-16-2013 12:06 PM
Can someone help me out please? I collect Skylab II "Wives" patch items and I have got a postcard and an airmail cover with the patch on them from the time of the mission.But I have been told it was the only the postcard was made at the time. Can I ask if someone knows if some covers were made to at the time? Thanks. |
kosmo Member Posts: 449 From: Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 04-16-2013 12:23 PM
I also collect Skylab II wives items and have not seen the postcard or cover before. |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-16-2013 01:29 PM
The postcard versions were never officially authorized, but were produced in July 1973 by a German philatelic dealer for commercial gain.Also, there was never an official printed "wives" cachet cover. Instead of a printed cachet cover-type, the "wives" designer, Jacques Tiziou, did produce a very limited number of decal/sticker-affixed "wives" cachet covers. |
butch wilks Member Posts: 336 From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 04-16-2013 02:26 PM
I have one of the VIP decals signed by the two designers (number 545) you mention but it not on an postcard, just a decal.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.) Thanks for the update on the postcard. So do you know who did the airmail cover? |
stevedd841 Member Posts: 298 From: Millersville, Maryland Registered: Jul 2004
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posted 04-17-2013 04:06 PM
Please see the attached, the popularly called "Wives VIP Card" for the splashdown of the Skylab 3 mission of Alan Bean, Jack Lousma, and Owen Garriott that was commissioned by their wives, Sue Bean, Gratia Kay Lousma, and Helen-Mary Garriott. 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?! |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-17-2013 04:24 PM
To my knowledge there were no "cards" aboard the Skylab OWS.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! And if I am not mistaken, there were no authorized "Welcome Home" VIP-type cards available for the splashdown. If I recall, a large number of them were produced by a German philatelic firm for recovery of the crew in such a humorous way. |
stevedd841 Member Posts: 298 From: Millersville, Maryland Registered: Jul 2004
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posted 04-17-2013 05:07 PM
I went back to check my notes and can offer this additional information. 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." (Ref: Jack Lousma, from "All We Did Was Fly to the Moon.")So, Ken, you are correct, the wives VIP cards were not on the flight, nor were the wives covers either, only the decals. Everything else appears to have been post flight. Hope this clarifies things. Now, if you can find those decals... |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-17-2013 06:08 PM
I am a big fan of the "wives" patch and of Jacques Tiziou himself. We're good friends, since the 1970s, and have visited together, shared and worked on many space projects between us.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. And he signed it in full on the reverse with "02 (out of 3)."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). There is so much more to report about the "wives" patch project that perhaps it would make a great philatelic-side story as well with the limited number of sticker-affixed cachets. |
butch wilks Member Posts: 336 From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 04-18-2013 11:04 AM
Thanks for all the help on this.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). I'd love to see all you have on the patch Ken, please do a bit for us please. |
kosmo Member Posts: 449 From: Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 11-02-2016 08:38 PM
Thought cS members would enjoy seeing this piece of info regarding the Skylab II wives sticker/envelopes. |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 03-14-2021 04:26 PM
quote: Originally posted by butch wilks: I'd love to see all you have on the patch Ken, please do a bit for us please.
My gosh! How did I not get back to this more than 7 years ago? Anyway, here is a brief display panel presentation of my own Skylab II (SL-3) astronaut wives designed cloth patches, decal stickers, and the limited #10 envelope decal-cachet covers, along with a few other related material.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. |
kosmo Member Posts: 449 From: Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 04-15-2021 08:03 AM
A photo of my Skylab II wives collection, small compared to Ken's, but may add some more information. |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-16-2021 04:48 AM
Looks like Tom (kosmo) was able to acquire Jack Lousma's personal "wives" sticker-cachet cover and signed by all the crewmen and their wives! Now that's very impressive and I also noted one of the stickers signed by the wives along with Jacques and Ardis (#1114). 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. The Lousma cover is a wonderful and rare edition. |
kosmo Member Posts: 449 From: Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 04-16-2021 04:12 PM
Ken thank you for the info, I wasn't aware that the signed envelope was so unique. 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? Also the patch is signed on the back, I don't know if that was done to all of them. |
Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 3213 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-16-2021 04:51 PM
The Aug. 25, 1973 postal date from my area on Merritt Island, FL, which was where Jacques had been living during the early 1970's, was in commemoration of a new manned space flight (Skylab) endurance record. And to answer your other question, no, hardly any of the initial or earlier wives patches were signed on the back. |
kosmo Member Posts: 449 From: Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 04-16-2021 05:04 PM
Great, thanks again Ken for the info. | |
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