Historical Photo of the Month - March 2008

JPL 1958 Exhibit
Photograph Number P-1019B

The 1958 Western Space Age Conference was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles March 20-22, less than two months after the successful launch of Explorer I. JPL quickly assembled this display, with the help of Public Relations, Reports, the Photo Lab, carpenters, electricians, painters, transportation, and others. It highlighted not only the Explorer satellite, but JPL's work for the Army in the 40s and 50s - propellants, rocket motors, missiles, and wind tunnels - with photographs, artwork, and full size models.

Dr. William Pickering, Director of JPL, stopped by to take a look at the exhibit and answered questions for the press. Caltech President Lee Dubridge spoke at the conference, and the film X Minus 80 Days was shown. Part of the exhibit was later moved to Washington, D.C., and JPL received several other requests to borrow the exhibit.

If you would like to see the entire series of photos taken at the conference, go to the JPL Archives online photo albums at http://eis/library/photos/P1-16399/P1019-P1455.pdf . Other digitized photo albums are also available through the Library/Archives online catalog under the Find It/Search button at http://beacon. Search for "photo album". (JPL access only.)

For more information about the history of Explorer, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. You can also check the Explorer web site for stories relating to the 50th anniversary of the Explorer launch. [Archival and other sources: Photo albums; photo indices; Lab-Oratory, April 1958.]