Forty years ago, on October 5, 1976, the idea of creating the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo came to fruition for former city mayor Dwight Ohlinger when the facility was dedicated amidst great fanfare and international recognition. Where were you that day? Riding in the parade? Volunteering to help with the dedication ceremony or rocket launches? Or maybe with your parents as they, along with hundreds of others, welcomed this new, modernistic treasure to the community.
As part of the museum’s 40th Anniversary celebration, a special exhibit is planned featuring photos that museum visitors have taken over the last four decades, but to do that the museum needs your help and your pictures. Did you visit the Clyde W. Tombaugh Theater and Planetarium when it opened in 1981 or visit the Space Center as the museum came to be known in 1987? How about in 2001 when the museum became the present New Mexico Museum of Space History? Or have you just visited the “Space Hall” sometime in the last 40 years to enjoy fireworks, outside concerts, space camps or exhibits? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then we want your pictures, videos and stories.
Photos with a story make the best memories. For instance, a visitor recently shared with museum staff that she has a photo taken of her and her then high school boyfriend in front of the “cube” or main building. That boyfriend later became her husband. A few years ago, she took pictures of their grandchildren in the same location right after they graduated from Rocketeer Academy’s Summer Camp. These are the kinds of photos we are looking for: pictures of family, friends and memories made at the museum.
The exhibit, 40 Years Through the Eyes of Our Visitors, will be grouped by decades starting in the 1970’s all the way to the present. There are two ways to have your photos and videos considered for the exhibit. Contact museum curator Sue Taylor to make an appointment to have your photos scanned and returned to you immediately, or scan the photos yourself (minimum 300 dpi) and email them to sue.taylor@state.nm.us . Videos must be provided on disc or thumb drive, unless other arrangements are made with the curator. Deadline for submissions is September 1.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website atwww.nmspacemuseum.org. Like us at: www.facebook.com/NMSpaceMuseum