I'm very interested in Russian and Soviet-era advertising and graphics, which might have been noted in the past. If you are, too, you might be thrilled to browse the staggering collection of over 1,000 vintage Christmas and holiday cards at Mazaika. You can literally spend hours poring through this amazing collection. In fact, I think I'm going to print these out to send next year!
Many great anthropologists, philosophers, and people who study other things are in agreement when they say that three of the highest goals that we as a civilization can achieve are discovery, understanding, and knowledge. It is natural that, after we look at the world around us, we must look up to the heavens and ponder the vast unknown. In 1959, when these two books were published as part of the Golden Library Of Knowledge series, the universe and its bounty were ready to share its mysteries with the people of the Earth, and these books captured the excitement of the time with charming illustrations, novel descriptions of the moon and planets, and the dizzying notion of new possibilities. Of course, in the end, some of the predictions didn't come true and some of the facts are now obsolete, but Space Flight and The Moon remain an interesting slice of life from an era poised to discover the wonders of outer space.
The very first treasure I remember getting from a flea market was this pack of cards, a game called Space Race. When I got it, I was charmed by the astronomical graphics but didn't really understand the historical implications. This was part of a series of educational card games made by Edu-Cards, a division of Binney & Smith (makers of Crayola Crayons). This particular set is from 1969, although this page alludes to earlier editions.
