jbarnes@cci.bbn.com (James Barnes) (06/15/89)
The following article represents a curious intersection of several
of my interests.
For rec.photo fans: This is an example of what to do with the BIG
picture without actually selling it. The
photo (or a cropped version of it) accompanied
the article, but since this is from a
newspaper-like weekly, it is difficult to
judge the quality of the photo. There are
indeed seven recognizable silhouettes of
the herons with the plume of smoke/exhaust
in the background.
For sci.space.shuttle fans: If you think these are good ideas,
letters to the Smithsonian or the postmaster
general (or the appropriate committees within
the respective organizations - no I don't
have the addresses!) may show public support
for these ideas.
Quoted (without permission) from an article by John M. Hotchner in
the June 19, 1989 edition of LINN'S STAMP NEWS:
"Jan. 28, 1991, will be the fifth anniversary of the
Challenger space shuttle tragedy. It is a perfect date to
remember with a stamp design and honor the seven devoted
people who lost their lives as a result of the explosion
of that space shuttle.
"There has been considerable debate on whether the United
States Postal Service could or should honor these astronauts
and, if so, how. The answer may lie in the photograph
shown in Figure 1. **(photo not easily reproducible ;-)**
"The photo was taken by Raymond G. Moore at the Kennedy
Space Center launch site just moments after the catastrophe,
as seven blue herons suddenly appeared in the foreground
of the launch plume.
"Moore has opted not to market his photo. Rather, he has
three wishes:
"1. To donate the rights of the photo to the Challenger
Center for Space Science Education in Washington D.C.
"2. Have it accepted by and displayed in the Washington,
D.C., Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
"3. To have the photo used as a stamp design as an
everlasting memorial to the seven space shuttle crew members.
"Since the photo in stamp form would not require names or
faces, such a memorial would not violate the USPS prohibition
of picturing people before the 10th anniversary of their
death.
"Such a stamp would also serve as a tribute to others who
have lost their lives in space program related accidents
and those many people who have given their lives to the
U.S. programs to further space exploration."