This limited-edition collection of space exploration toys—from shuttles to space dogs—taps into the nostalgia and imagination of 20th-century science fiction
Presented in this oversize publication are 146 aerospace-related toys from the collection of Rolf Fehlbaum, Vitra’s chairman emeritus and the founder of Vitra Design Museum. Toys related to space exploration—rockets, robots and astronaut figurines—exploded in popularity in the 1930s with the success of space opera comic strips such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, which portrayed postwar fantasies of untold technological possibilities. From there, sci-fi only gained a wider audience as the Soviet/American space race began and people of all ages turned their gazes skywards to wonder about what marvels may exist beyond Earth’s orbit.
The toys in this volume are shown at their original size with the available packaging, organized into ten categories and arranged in chronological order by their manufacture dates. Some of the toys depict amusing conjectures for the future of aeronautical exploration such as space dogs, space elephants and even a space whale, while others are more realistic replicas of rockets in miniature. Infused with an undeniable nostalgia, this collection maintains the childlike wonder of the toys’ initial audiences and invites present-day readers to both reflect on the era’s technological advancements and look to the future for what discoveries may still be on the horizon.
Featured image is reproduced from 'Space Fantasies 1:1.'
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Antiques and The Arts Weekly
This limited-edition collection of space exploration toys – from shuttles to space dogs – taps into the nostalgia and imagination of Twentieth Century science fiction. Presented in this oversize publication are 146 aerospace-related toys [...] Infused with an undeniable nostalgia, this collection maintains the childlike wonder of the toys’ initial audiences and invites present-day readers to both reflect on the era’s technological advancements and look to the future for what discoveries may still be on the horizon.
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This charming 1961 battery-operated Japanese toy Moon Patrol Vehicle is reproduced from Space Fantasies 1:1, Vitra Design Museum's gorgeous new oversized limited edition collecting 146 remarkable vintage aerospace-related toys from the collection of Rolf Fehlbaum, the museum's founder. "Space toys were meant to be toys, of course, but what attracts our interest is their surprising originality and sculptural quality," Fehlbaum and co-editor Fifo Stricker write. "While robots and astronauts are based on the human figure, differing in size and details but not in their basic structure, the space toys comprise a wide variety of objects. They range from miniature replicas of rockets to humorous inventions such as space dogs, space elephants, and even a space whale. Sometimes the space vehicles are manned by humans, sometimes by robots. Robots remain disconcerting and enigmatic, springing from a philosophical debate about mechanical servants and the dialectics of master/slave. Space toys, by contrast, evoke an optimistic belief in the progress and technologies that give us access to the universe of space exploration." Indeed, this volume captures all of the optimism that space exploration—and toys—carried in the post-war era. A welcome reprieve from today's urgent discussions around global warming and overpopulation of the planet. See more Holiday Gift Books for the Luxury Collector here. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 16.5 x 13.5 in. / 296 pgs / 270 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $215.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $301 ISBN: 9783945852422 PUBLISHER: Vitra Design Museum AVAILABLE: 9/15/2020 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: SDNR40 PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA
Published by Vitra Design Museum. Edited by Rolf Fehlbaum, Fifo Stricker.
This limited-edition collection of space exploration toys—from shuttles to space dogs—taps into the nostalgia and imagination of 20th-century science fiction
Presented in this oversize publication are 146 aerospace-related toys from the collection of Rolf Fehlbaum, Vitra’s chairman emeritus and the founder of Vitra Design Museum. Toys related to space exploration—rockets, robots and astronaut figurines—exploded in popularity in the 1930s with the success of space opera comic strips such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, which portrayed postwar fantasies of untold technological possibilities. From there, sci-fi only gained a wider audience as the Soviet/American space race began and people of all ages turned their gazes skywards to wonder about what marvels may exist beyond Earth’s orbit.
The toys in this volume are shown at their original size with the available packaging, organized into ten categories and arranged in chronological order by their manufacture dates. Some of the toys depict amusing conjectures for the future of aeronautical exploration such as space dogs, space elephants and even a space whale, while others are more realistic replicas of rockets in miniature. Infused with an undeniable nostalgia, this collection maintains the childlike wonder of the toys’ initial audiences and invites present-day readers to both reflect on the era’s technological advancements and look to the future for what discoveries may still be on the horizon.
