BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Board Exhibit: Mars: Fantasy, Fact, and Fiction

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Board Exhibit: Mars: Fantasy, Fact, and Fiction:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SIAIMR_160704_001.JPG: They Came From Mars! The Martians! Fascination and fear of the unknown have captivated humans for centuries, but especially after the 1947 report of UFO sightings over Mt. Rainier. Coinciding with the beginning of the Cold War, outer space arose as a popular media topic alongside fictional literature and film, comic books, featuring Martians and aliens represented the readers' interests in -- and fear of -- foreign invaders. Take Us to Your Leader: Comics and other science fiction questioned what was out beyond our skies. Comic books like UFO Flying Saucers and Weird Science touched on the fear of the unknown and their potentially destructive capabilities, with Martians often leading the destruction. Martian Manhunter: Though Martians are often depicted as invaders, some are depicted as our protectors. J'onn J'onzz, known primarily as Martian Manhunter, is a protector and one of the most notable Martians in the DC comic universe. First introduced in Detective Comics #225 in November of 1955, J'onn would go on to become a founding member of the Justice League of America. Why Martians? Science fiction provides a vast array of aliens from within and beyond our solar system. Martians are special to human's understanding of the unknown because of the closeness of Mars and its terrestrial nature. If a planet has such similar and familiar characteristics it has to hold life, doesn't it?
2. SIAIMR_160704_011.JPG: Topps Trading Cards, 1962 Mars Attacks! was originally published as a trading card series with a story on each card. The cards became popular collector's items after the run was stopped due to explicit gore and nudity. (Background image)
3. SIAIMR_160704_026.JPG: Weird Science (Fantasy) No. 16, November-December 1962. The aliens on this Wally Wood cover would inuence [sic] the design of the Mars Attacks! trading card Martians.
4. SIAIMR_160704_028.JPG: Adventure Comics #449 February 1977 Though J'onn has a humanoid form, Martians are depicted in various ways. They are typically advanced beings with a higher intelligence than humans.
5. SIAIMR_160704_032.JPG: War of the Worlds Classics Illustrated No. 124, 1968 reprint. Martians are popularly depicted as blob-like tentacle creatures, like this one from the comic book version of The War of the Worlds.
6. SIAIMR_160704_036.JPG: Martian Manhunter: Though Martians are often depicted as invaders, some are depicted as our protectors. J'onn J'onzz, known primarily as Martian Manhunter, is a protector and one of the most notable Martians in the DC comic universe. First introduced in Detective Comics #225 in November of 1955, J'onn would go on to become a founding member of the Justice League of America.
7. SIAIMR_160704_038.JPG: War of the Worlds An Enduring Tale of Martians vs. Earthlings Since H.G. Wells first published War of the Worlds in 1898 there have been more than fifty adaptations of his exciting story in film, television, radio, and video games. "... our living frames are altogether immune. But there are no bacteria in Mars... when I watched them they were irrevocably doomed, dying and rotting. It was inevitable." -- H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds The Invasion of Aliens: The movie War of the Worlds begins with a voice telling the audience that greedy eyes are watching the blue planet. The envy our water, clean air and abundant resources. As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival. At the conclusion, the Martians started using resources on our Earth, and they died of bacteria, which humans were accustomed to. The Extinction of Aliens: The Martians' failure was inevitable. Because they had very underdeveloped immune systems, as soon as they were exposed to Earth's atmosphere, they became infected with bacteria. This proved uniformly fatal to the Martians. The invasion was over even more swiftly than it began. They were destroyed after all of humankind's weapons and devices had failed. The symbiosis between the bacteria and humans: You may think of bacteria as our enemy, but the truth is we can't live without bacteria. Bacteria play a vital role in human digestion. They feed on leftover food in our digestive system and in return produce beneficial chemicals such as vitamins and amino acids. In nature, they cycle nitrogen and sulfur in the soil, which is a vital component for plants. Today, bacteria are used extensively in the production of foods, pharmaceuticals and biotechnological applications.
8. SIAIMR_160704_044.JPG: War of the Worlds An Enduring Tale of Martians vs. Earthlings The Invasion of Aliens: The movie War of the Worlds begins with a voice telling the audience that greedy eyes are watching the blue planet. The envy our water, clean air and abundant resources. As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival. At the conclusion, the Martians started using resources on our Earth, and they died of bacteria, which humans were accustomed to.
9. SIAIMR_160704_049.JPG: Mars and Science Fiction Literature Mars became a topic of special interest in science fiction literature in the late 1800s after Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli thought he saw red 'channels' on the planet. The new images of Mars led to authors such as Kurd Lasswitz and H.G. Wells to contemplate possible life on the planet. With the possibility of life came society's fear of the Other, as reflected in the cover of "War of the Worlds" above. By the mid 20th century, success in space travel showed that interplanetary travel was possible and led to Mars plots to focus around human travel as shown in the cover of Isaac Asimov's "The Martian Way." Mars' depiction in science fiction literature continues to evolve today with novels such as "Red Mars" theorizing the efforts needed to colonize the planet and make it hospitable to human life.
10. SIAIMR_160704_056.JPG: Mars became a topic of special interest in science fiction literature in the late 1800s after Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli thought he saw red 'channels' on the planet. The new images of Mars led to authors such as Kurd Lasswitz and H.G. Wells to contemplate possible life on the planet. With the possibility of life came society's fear of the Other, as reflected in the cover of "War of the Worlds" above.
11. SIAIMR_160704_058.JPG: By the mid 20th century, success in space travel showed that interplanetary travel was possible and led to Mars plots to focus around human travel as shown in the cover of Isaac Asimov's "The Martian Way." Mars' depiction in science fiction literature continues to evolve today with novels such as "Red Mars" theorizing the efforts needed to colonize the planet and make it hospitable to human life.
12. SIAIMR_160704_061.JPG: Vision of the Future Mars in the Movies In 1976, the US sent two Viking lander [sic] to Mars. This mission began intense scientific research and returned sharp images of a beautiful, barren landscape. This also started a renewed public interest in Mars. After Viking, the obviously fake Mars images represented in movies disappeared and Hollywood began to take the appearance of Mars seriously. Between 1990 and 2001, climate change and its impact became a major topic and a new theme for Mars movies. To escape the climate change disaster is to escape out into the universe. Terraforming lifeless planets like Mars to something more Earth-like became a focus. Today, NASA's exploration of Mars and its plan to send humans to the red planet in the 2030s continues to inspire writers and filmmakers. 1990: Total Recall: Douglass Quaid is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead. 2000: Mission to Mars: The first manned mission to Mars in 2020 ends in disaster when three of the crew are seemingly killed and the fourth, Luke Graham, is stranded with no way to contact earth. Jim McConnell, Woody Blake, Phil Ohlmyer and Terri Fisher are sent on a rescue mission to rescue any survivors and find out what happened. The team uncovers startling evidence that Mars may not be a dead planet after all. 2000: Red Planet: Mission Commander Kate Bowman had the most important mission of the 21st century: saving the human race. It's 2050, Earth is dying, and colonizing Mars is the only alternative to obliteration. Bowman and her crew have made this journey to investigate what went wrong with the malfunctioning Mars Terraforming Project and to repair it. But what happens when they get there is far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed. 2015: The Martian: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney, presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a rescue mission.
13. SIAIMR_160704_068.JPG: 2000: Red Planet: Mission Commander Kate Bowman had the most important mission of the 21st century: saving the human race. It's 2050, Earth is dying, and colonizing Mars is the only alternative to obliteration. Bowman and her crew have made this journey to investigate what went wrong with the malfunctioning Mars Terraforming Project and to repair it. But what happens when they get there is far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed. 2015: The Martian: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney, presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a rescue mission.
14. SIAIMR_160704_070.JPG: 1990: Total Recall: Douglass Quaid is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead. 2000: Mission to Mars: The first manned mission to Mars in 2020 ends in disaster when three of the crew are seemingly killed and the fourth, Luke Graham, is stranded with no way to contact earth. Jim McConnell, Woody Blake, Phil Ohlmyer and Terri Fisher are sent on a rescue mission to rescue any survivors and find out what happened. The team uncovers startling evidence that Mars may not be a dead planet after all.
15. SIAIMR_160704_072.JPG: Mars Mythologies Ancient / Modern The fourth planet from the sun derives its name from the Roman god of war. Ancient Mars-worshipping cultures may had disappeared, but their mythologies still loom large. From the color spectrum to gender theory to the days of the week, Mars and his warrior counterparts manifest in cultures all over the globe. Ruby Tuesday: In Hindu mythology the planet Mars is named for Mangala, also a god of war. Mangala is said to preside over Tuesday, as Mars did in ancient Roman mythology. Similarly, in most Latinate languages, the word for Tuesday means "days of Mars," like Mardi in French, Martes in Spanish, and Martedi in Italian. Men are From... The planet Mars's familiar symbol is also the sign for the male sex. Its circular shape and side arrow likely have their origins in the god Mars' a battle shield and spear. Eighteenth century Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus was one of the first scientists to use Mars's symbol to denote maleness in his writings. Seeing Red: Stores of iron oxide on Mars give it a rosy color, and have earned it the nickname "the red planet." In Hebrew, Mars is called Ma'adim, or "one who blushes." Many Asian cultures call it "fire star." The ancient Egyptians called Mars "Horus the Red," after their patron god of war and hunting.
16. SIAIMR_160704_085.JPG: Art Explorations Chesley Bonestell's Legacy on Mars Chesley Bonestell was an American artist and illustrator who lived from 1888 to 1986. His work focused on the possibility of space travel and exploration and is widely credited with inspiring the space program in the United States. His art was featured in numerous science fiction magazines and films. He was responsible for making the concept of space travel more accessible, inspiring many to make his work a reality, which is still continuing to this day. Chesley Bonestell 1888-1986 "[Bonestell's] remarkable technique produces an effect of realism so striking that his paintings have sometimes been mistaken for actual colour photographs by those slightly unacquainted with the present status of interplanetary flight." -- Sir Arthur C. Clarke Choice of Medium: Prior to working on his paintings of Mars and space exploration, Bonestell trained as an architect at Columbia University. Early in his career he was a special effects and set designer for the movies Citizen Kane and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. As a result, Bonestell was comfortable working in several different mediums, including oil and lithographs. From Art to Reality: Bonestell was able to portray the seemingly impossible concept of mankind traveling to Mars because he was able to witness the equally implausible concept of mankind taking flight. He was 15 years old when the Wright brothers took flight at Kitty Hawk, and with every step of humankind's progression into space Bonestell was able to imagine the next step and display it as a possibility for the masses. This in turn inspired many and spurred the continuation of space exploration. His contributions eventually led to the naming of the Bonestell crater on Mars. Did you know... Bonestell designed the art deco exterior and iconic eagles of the Chrysler Building in New York City.
17. SIAIMR_160704_089.JPG: Water On Mars: Is the Red Planet Blue? Past: Speculation dates back hundreds of years: is there water on Mars? As early as 1784, astronomer William Hershel used telescopic findings to claim that the dark surfaces he saw on Mars's surface were oceans. Though Hershel was incorrect about the planet having oceans, recent discoveries do support that Mars has been host to liquid water. Riverbeds, craters, and gullies on the planet's surface support the idea that there was once flowing water on the surface, perhaps billions of years ago. Present: Today, water exists on Mars in the form of ice. There are massive sheets of ice under the planet's surface at higher latitudes. A combination of just the right temperature and protection from the ground cover keeps the ice from evaporating into water vapor. Researchers regularly monitor Mars's ice. Findings as recent as September 2015 suggest that there may be some liquid water that continues to flow on the planet. Future: If there is indeed liquid water on Mars, is life sustainable? Though recent evidence suggests liquid water on Mars, the planet will not be hosting human life anytime soon. In addition to water, humans need a more hospitable climate and oxygen to breath, neither of which Mars offers. Though maintaining human life is not yet a possibility on Mars, discovery of liquid water gives researchers hope to find forms of life that may exist on the planet.
18. SIAIMR_160704_096.JPG: Martitan Rock Analyzing a Rock from 50 Million Miles Away
19. SIAIMR_160704_102.JPG: Mars in Music Beginning with the first planetary discoveries in antiquity, artists, writers, and other creatives have drawn inspiration and meaning from the planets of the solar system. Many musicians and composers have also looked to planets, and their perceived character, to create mood and meaning in songs. Gustav Holst: Mars, the Bringer of War (1914): The English composer Gustav Holst composed seven movements for his suite The Planets, each inspired by a different planet in the solar system. For "Mars," Holst draws on astrology and the symbolic role of the Roman god Mars as a figure of war. Inspired by Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, "Mars" uses dissonant notes and an unconventional rhythm to create an aggressive and unsettling mood. David Bowie: Is There Life on Mars? (1971): The surreal lyrics of Bowie's song "Is There Life on Mars?" depict the planet as an escape from an ordinary reality on Earth. Bowie later stated that the girl in the song, "living in the doldrums of reality, [is] being told that there's a far greater life somewhere, and she's bitterly disappointed that she doesn't have access to it." Like Sun Ra, many of Bowie's songs reference space. For example, one of his most famous personas, Ziggy Stardust, is described as a "spider from Mars." Other famous Bowie songs include "Space Oddity" and "Starman." Sun Ra: Blues on Planet Mars (1968): Much of jazz artist Sun Ra's music related to his perception of space travel and the cosmos. He believes that he visited Saturn in the mid-1930s, and his philosophies derive from occult and mythological sources. Sun Ra is often associated with the Afrofuturist movement,a school of thought that includes African American identity and history, science fiction, and cosmology. In 1968 -- the same year Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon -- Sun Ra recorded "Blues on Planet Mars," with his band, the Astro-Solar-Infinity Arkestra. The song, one of several he wrote about Mars, features a clavinet with electronic effects to create an otherworldly feeling.
20. SIAIMR_160704_108.JPG: Mars: Fantasy, Fact, and Fiction: This exhibit installation was designed by George Washington University graduate students for an exhibition design course. The students selected topics related to Mars, and their posters illustrate the many art forms inspired by the red planet, as well as past and current scientific exploration. The students worked closely with National Air and Space Museum designers, curators, editors, educators, and archivists to design their posters. The course provides them with valuable hands-on experience and prepares them for careers in the museum profession.
21. SIAIMR_160704_115.JPG: Mars, The Elusive Planet: Soviet Missions to Mars, 1960s-1980s
22. SIAIMR_160704_120.JPG: Mars, the Elusive Planet; United States Missions to Mars
23. SIAIMR_160704_126.JPG: Mars Global Surveyor
24. SIAIMR_160704_131.JPG: Curiosity Explores Mars The rover explores the surface of the red planet to determine if Mars could have ever sustained life
25. SIAIMR_160704_138.JPG: Reaching for the Red Planet
26. SIAIMR_160704_145.JPG: ExoMars Robotic Exploration of Mars
27. SIAIMR_160704_151.JPG: Ready, Set, Land Engineers Create Innovative Ways to Land on Mars
28. SIAIMR_160704_161.JPG: Mars 2020 Exploring the Potential for Life on Mars to Prepare for Future Human Missions
29. SIAIMR_160704_165.JPG: Polar Ice Caps on Mars
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2016 photos: Seven relatively short trips this year: two Civil War Trust conference (Gettysburg, PA and West Point, NY, with a side-trip to New York City), my 11th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Utah, Nevada, and California), a quick trip to Michigan for Uncle Wayne's funeral, two additional trips to New York City, and a Civil Rights site trip to Alabama during the November elections. Being in places where people died to preserve the rights of minority voters made the Trumputin election even more depressing. Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Number of photos taken this year: just over 610,000.
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