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Author
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Topic: Novaspace/McDivitt Gemini IV patch
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42984
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-28-2008 03:03 AM
   
Novaspace Galleries has collaborated with Jim McDivitt to adapt the artwork from the Gemini IV Fliteline medal to create a patch for GT-4: We used official Air Force colors (both McDivitt and White were USAF) and had AB emblems manufacture the patch, using the drawing as a guide. Jim LOVES it! He says "Ed would've liked it, too." Novaspace has offered six of the patches on Astro-Auction with a starting dutch bid of $5 each. |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-28-2008 06:56 AM
I hope they will be available through AB Emblem for those of us who just want one or two.What is a "dutch auction?" |
lm5eagle
Member Posts: 429
From:
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 05-28-2008 08:18 AM
Good explanation of a Dutch Auction on Astro-Auction FAQs page.
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Jacques van Oene
Member Posts: 861
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 05-28-2008 10:50 AM
So now there are three different versions of the patch...See SpacePatches.nl and scroll down... (and I must say that I like the museum one the best... why did they not make it like that one?) |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42984
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-28-2008 11:51 AM
The museum version was apparently created without McDivitt's input, whereas Novaspace's patch did. Between the two, I am partial to the Novaspace version. The design is much cleaner. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 05-28-2008 06:26 PM
I agree. If it came down to a contest between the museum version, the Randy Hunt version, and the Novaspace version, I'd pick the Novaspace version both for aesthetics and for being the most "official" of the three...since it had McDivitt's input. The choice of Air Force colors is also a nice touch. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 05-29-2008 01:59 AM
From my own point of view I'd much prefer that these were sold at a fixed price as was done with the Molly Brown patch.Releasing six in Dutch auction format will create a little feeding frenzy and bring in a few silly bids. Then the next batch may be a little less frenzied... but since we don't know how many there are people may think each time is their last chance.  |
sfurtaw
Member Posts: 104
From: Saginaw, MI USA
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-29-2008 11:04 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
The museum version was apparently created without McDivitt's input, whereas Novaspace's patch did. Between the two, I am partial to the Novaspace version. The design is much cleaner.
The design is certainly cleaner, but I still am interested in the origins of the "museum patch". I don't know if this helps or further confuses the issue. I just spoke with Stan Bozich, executive director of Michigan's Own, Inc., Military & Space Museum (home of the "museum patch"). The patch did not come from McDivitt himself. His ex-wife found the patch in her attic and sent it to the museum, along with two flightsuits, all of which are in McDivitt's showcase. Stan is guessing that she sent the items to the museum somewhere around 1984.This still doesn't explain who made the patch, or how and when it was produced. That is all I can offer at this time. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 05-29-2008 03:49 PM
Intersting. Yeah, I wish Novaspace would just make them available for a fixed price, like John did with Molly Brown. It's not like they're donating anything to charity, so driving up the price with a bidding frenzy seems a little much. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42984
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-30-2008 10:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Bill Hunt:
I wish Novaspace would just make them available for a fixed price...
They are now available for $7.50 each via the Novaspace Galleries website. The auction has been ended and the following message posted: This auction was to ascertain interest. The patch is now on our website. Bidders: you won't be responsible for your generous bids, but thanks! |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 05-31-2008 04:45 AM
Super! I just placed my order for two of them. |
lm5eagle
Member Posts: 429
From:
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 05-31-2008 05:12 AM
The NEW price doesn't surprise me. Novaspace is owned and staffed by the most decent of people. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 05-31-2008 01:04 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
They are now available for $7.50 each via the Novaspace Galleries website.
Very, very cool. Thanks Robert and thanks very much to the folks at Novaspace! |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 06-02-2008 11:51 AM
Well, now I can pick up a couple. I was dismayed that the patch appeared to be available by auction only... It's a very handsome design, but I simply don't have the discretionary income to compete with collectors willing/able to pay, say, $50 for one of these. Good news indeed!(I also agree with NovaSpace and General McDivitt about the previously available G-4 commemorative... YUCK is right! Could they have made it any uglier? I don't see how.) |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-02-2008 03:30 PM
Those are really nice to see! While I am not a patch collector in general, I have ordered a couple, just as I ordered the Molly Brown ones. Now the big question is... will they also produce the "alternate" Apollo 9 patch, as seen in this video (for example at 1 min:07 and 2:36 ) - there's one I'd seriously LOVE to own!  |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-02-2008 03:30 PM
We might as well repost the image of the other patch we're talking about here... I actually don't think it's ugly per se. In fact, it seems to match the general format of John Young's post-flight GT3 patch, which would suggest the possibility that they were made at the same time, possibly even by the same manufacturer, or that whoever made this GT4 patch was inspired by Young's patch. But I would agree that the new GT4 patch is more attractive, and that if McDivitt himself was involved and approved it, that's as close to an official embroidered patch as we can ever get. In fact, the new patch is just as official as the GT3 patch Young had made post flight, given that neither actually flew (and the only "real" GT4 patch can still be considered the U.S. flag, though it isn't an embroidered emblem). I guess my only complaint about the new patch, is that I wish it were done on a vintage machine, to have the same look, feel and texture as a vintage Gemini flight patch. The patch pictured above DOES have that look, which I appreciate. At the very least, it appears to have been made in the early to mid-80s, if not earlier. But that's a very small nitpick of the new emblem. I, for one, am certainly glad to finally have an officially McDivitt approved embroidered emblem for GT4. |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 06-02-2008 05:19 PM
When General McDivitt referred to the "ugly" Gemini IV patch, I'm pretty sure he meant the souvenir version still sold by AB (There's a pic on Novaspace's page for their patch.) I actually think the museum patch above is quite handsome, and although I prefer the new one, I would still have bought a pair if Novaspace had simply decided to duplicate the patch you posted. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-02-2008 06:49 PM
Ah, I see what you meant. Yeah, I'd still like to know who made this one. And I'd still like a replica of it as part of the Gemini replica project if possible. |
Michael Clemente
Member Posts: 186
From: Atco, New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-02-2008 07:45 PM
Thanks Kim for making the Gemini 4 patch available. I just ordered two of them. It definitely is a real nice patch and look forward to add it to my collection. Aim High! Mike |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 06-03-2008 01:02 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Bill Hunt:
Yeah, I'd still like to know who made this one. And I'd still like a replica of it as part of the Gemini replica project if possible.
So Bill, you'd like to see a replica of a replica of a patch that never existed? I reckon that's a few too many steps removed from a real crew patch.  I quite like the museum version of the patch too but the two color background with dark blue merging into light blue doesn't look to me like that of a 60s patch. None of the early crew patches had a complex background like that so I really think that if the patch had been made at the time it would have looked more like the Novaspace version than the museum one. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-03-2008 07:40 PM
Sure, why not? I'd rather have an original, but we can't seem to track down any information about who originally produced it.Lord knows, there are replicas of just about every other space patch ever! |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-03-2008 10:58 PM
quote:
Originally posted by GoesTo11:
When General McDivitt referred to the "ugly" Gemini IV patch, I'm pretty sure he meant the souvenir version still sold by AB
Which, incidentally, is the patch posted on Wikipedia to represent Gemini 4's official insignia. Anyone here who edits Wikipedia and could post an authorized image to the site to update it? It would seem appropriate - as, perhaps, would editing the "Insignia" section of the page. |
embangloy
Member Posts: 75
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 06-04-2008 05:33 PM
Perhaps AB would consider discontinuing the "Boy Scout of America" looking GT-4 patch for one that is endorsed by half of the crew; same thought with GT-3. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-04-2008 07:03 PM
This thread reminded me of something we have in our museum archives - presumably created as a souvenir in 1972 or afterwards. I like many of the designs for mission insignia that never had official ones - and the Gemini 3 and 4 insignia are not too bad at all. Certainly better than the souvenir patches that have been out there all these years. 
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OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 06-04-2008 11:55 PM
I got one of those. I think someone made patches of the Mercury and Gemini from that in the 90's. |
astroborg
Member Posts: 200
From: Woodbridge, VA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 06-05-2008 08:13 AM
I have the Mercury patches; I picked them up from Randy Hunt, if I recall. |
Harald Kraenzel
Member Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005
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posted 06-05-2008 08:46 AM
quote:
Originally posted by astroborg:
I have the Mercury patches; I picked them up from Randy Hunt, if I recall.
That's correct. Randy Hunt offers those patches some time ago. |
Michael Clemente
Member Posts: 186
From: Atco, New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-07-2008 10:20 AM
I received my Gemini IV patches today and they are real nice. They are a great addition to anybodys collection. Nice work Kim. AIM HIGH! Mike |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-07-2008 06:04 PM
They are nice, but have you noticed that the shipped patches have less space between the crew names and the edge than the patch pictured above? |
Mike Z
Member Posts: 451
From: Ellicott City, Maryland
Registered: Dec 2005
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posted 06-07-2008 09:44 PM
I'm not complaining at all, I'm thrilled to have mine thanks to my son who surprised me with it. If you look close, the Eagle's beak is different, the border on mine has silver thread and the stitching in the blue back ground looks different. The one pictured must be a proto-type. I like the shipped patch better, it's done much better. |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 06-09-2008 02:41 PM
I just received my two patches (Now THAT's service!) and I agree with Bill and Mike...The lettering seems a little bolder and closer to the border than in the photo up top, and these seem a little more crisply embroidered as well. Very nice work.Now, with these and the terrific Molly Brown patches I got last year, I know that even if the CollectSPACE Gemini set never happens, I'll be able to put together a display where each of the 10 manned missions is attractively represented. With the approval of the surviving crewmembers, these are as close as we'll ever get to "official" patches for GT-3 and GT-4. Thanks again to the great people who made these happen! |
embangloy
Member Posts: 75
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 06-09-2008 04:20 PM
Is there any chance this GT-4 design be made into a lapel pin form as well? |
Ryan Walters
Member Posts: 78
From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 06-12-2008 08:03 PM
I just got mine today as well and it looks great! Very fast service! Where can you get the GT-3 that John Young wore on his flight suit? |
embangloy
Member Posts: 75
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 06-12-2008 08:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Ryan Walters:
I just got mine today as well and it looks great! Very fast service! Where can you get the GT-3 that John Young wore on his flight suit?
Please note, I am not stating this in any way to be insensitive or cruel by replying to this posting.There is a Randy Hunt website that is still open that is showing the GT-3 "Molly Brown" patch that you are inquiring about. Could someone verify if this page and service is still active by members of Mr. Hunt's family or work associates? If it is not, I apologize for a bum link. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42984
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-12-2008 08:31 PM
I don't know about the Hunt website, but I am fairly certain the GT-3 patch that Ryan was inquiring about was this one. |
embangloy
Member Posts: 75
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 06-12-2008 08:41 PM
You're probably right Robert. I thought that John Berry had sold his replicas for the donation. |
Ryan Walters
Member Posts: 78
From: Hattiesburg, MS, USA
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 06-12-2008 10:36 PM
Yes that is the one I was looking for. Thanks Robert! |
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