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Author
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Topic: The Space Reporter (1964-65 publication)
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yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 794
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-02-2020 01:56 PM
   
Jeff (thisismills) forwarded to me one of his recent eBay finds - a copy of "The Space Reporter" newsletter from July 1964 (Vol 1 No 4)! Had never heard of this publication before.This was a monthly publication by Tom Dixon (TD Productions). Editor: Tom Dixon; Assoc. Editor: Ed Warchol; Astro-Queries: Hans Mueller; Cover research: Bill Luetge. Checking the APRL - they have only 4 copies of it in the library - one from 1964 and 3 from 1965.Other searches have not turned up any other information on this publication or the people who put it together. Did is actually start in April 1964? It certainly went through May 1965 (last issue at APRL). How much longer was it published? Interesting that I have seen covers addressed to Tom Dixon and Hans Mueller but none of the others involved in the newsletter. Anyone have more information and/or the actual publication issues?  |
thisismills
Member Posts: 481
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 06-02-2020 03:40 PM
I've posted here the scanned copy of Space Reporter from July 1964 (Vol. 1, Issue #4). Topics: - Summary of June's issue.
- Morris Beck naval recovery cover service.
- X-15 flight checklist.
- Summary of recent space events.
- Project Mercury recovery ships.
- New worldwide stamp issues.
- Project Gemini Tracking stations, addresses for cover servicing.
- Project Gemini mission plans.
If anyone is interested, I can upload scans of the other issues from the APRL library when I get them in hand. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3566
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 06-02-2020 04:38 PM
Excellent Tom and Jeff! I've always wanted to see a copy of The Space Reporter, and behold, here is a complete issue online.I think it beats The Astrophile, The Explorer, and The Dish in becoming the first U.S. newsletter-type journal of its kind completely dedicated to space stamps and covers. The issue referred to did feature new space stamp issues, recovery ships and the X-15 (both always popular topics), tracking stations very similar to Bob Ekas' The Dish, and current space news of the day. While I have heard the name of Tom Dixon, I never knew or met him as "editor Dixon" was a little bit before my time by a few short years. But I did know and work with Hans Mueller quite often and some with Bill Luetge. Hans was a serious veteran space cover and autograph collector for decades that I've had the pleasure to know and work with since the 1970's. He was one of my first space cover service customers while he was in Flushing, New York, and even throughout his retirement years in Ormond Beach, Florida. Hans was great guy and had quite an impressive collection. We worked together on so many space cover projects. If Bill Luetge is the same person that I knew, he became a national autograph dealer of several categories, and not just space. As to the other names mentioned in The Space Reporter, I have not heard of them and maybe some of the surviving SU'ers out there could share with us information of those early or "pioneer" space cover collectors and/or dealers associated with that early publication. Thanks guys for sharing a copy of The Space Reporter as I enjoyed reading through it. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 794
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-02-2020 09:28 PM
Yes Ken, you did work with the same Bill. I did find his obituary online and it did mention his autograph business. |
thisismills
Member Posts: 481
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 06-16-2020 09:37 AM
For your research enjoyment, four more issues of the Space Reporter are now available for reading below. For 1964 the month of the issue was indicated on the first page but is absent for those in 1965. My best guess for time-frames of the 1965 issues are included next to each based on events listed in the publication. I appreciate your help in further narrowing down these dates. Vol 1, No. 9, 1964 : December. Vol 2, No. 2, 1965 : pre-March 2 date, so this should be the February issue. Vol 2, No. 4, 1965 : after GT-4 mission, guessing June or July print. Vol 2, No. 5, 1965 : after GT-4 but pre-GT-6, guessing August, or Sept print. What might be the most interesting section of each issue are the editorials provided by the writing staff. Candid opinions about the state of the space collecting hobby are shared and indications that the publication isn't quite reaching as large an audience as expected. In one instance, a reward of a complete set of Mercury 7 autographs is attached to a plea for collectors to submit an article for publication...no responses were apparently sent in, a strange story in its own right. These are just a few insights into why this publication may not have been widely known at the time (or even now) and that it probably did not last past 1965. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3566
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 06-18-2020 05:47 PM
Really enjoyed reading those 1965 issues of The Space Reporter, Jeff and Tom, but it did seem though to me that the editor was getting discouraged with an apparent lack of interest and support in contributing articles by readers. It just seemed rather odd by his continued editorial concerns of the last issues writing about internal lawsuits, greedy collectors, over-promoting contest prizes, and member disputes that seemed out of place for such a publication. Why focus on such topics as he did? |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 794
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-19-2020 09:56 PM
Ken - That's why we are guessing it didn't last past 1965. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3566
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 06-20-2020 07:17 AM
Yes, it did seem to go in that direction and folded up as The Space Reporter was a forerunner to the upcoming Astrophile, The Explorer, The Dish, Europe's Astrophil, Space Phil News and CF Report, along with a couple other astrophilately journals and publications that followed and survived for a few decades. |
cronky
New Member Posts: 7
From: Yea, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Jan 2020
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posted 01-16-2023 05:33 PM
Dennis Ranski recently showed me this letter which was sent from Tom Dixon to readers of his 'Space Reporter' magazine. It is undated, but I believe it was sent just after Vol II No II (see scan of that particular issue above, posted by Jeff). Which would date this letter to around early-1965 or so. Has anyone has found any of the other missing 'Space Reporter' issues not already posted here? See also this related thread about Sokalsky covers: SCOTW 631. |
thisismills
Member Posts: 481
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 01-17-2023 08:45 AM
Simon, thanks for sharing the Tom Dixon letter scan. I had not seen this before and it really provides good information about the end of the Space Reporter run. Would be interesting to find the other advertising that he mentions. Never thought to look in comic books to be honest. I also have been regularly searching since my initial discovery of the SR, but unable to find any other issues. |
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