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The documentary film Growing Up With Rockets, produced by Vanguard Productions and Nancy Yasecko and released in 1984, is the story and personal reminiscences of the children, now grown, of those who worked at Cape Canaveral. The film discusses the Bumper Project (using captured V-2 missiles after World War II); Sputnik; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs; and ends with the first flight of Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) in 1981. Nancy Yasecko offers first person commentary with rare archival film, newsreels, excerpts from NASA promotional films, home movies and contemporary footage. In 1990, under the auspices of Citizen Exchange Council (CEC), a NY-based Soviet-American exchange organization, Growing Up With Rockets was included in the American Documentary Showcase. The Showcase was the first uncensored collection of American documentary films ever to reach general audiences across the USSR.
Nancy Yasecko is a media artist and educator who grew up and is still living on the Space Coast of Florida. She graduated from Cocoa Beach High School in 1972,and received her B.A. from the University of South Florida in 1975, and her M.A. in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Florida 1997. Nancy Yasecko is also the proprietor of Vanguard Productions, located on Merritt Island, FL, a producer of film and video for PBS broadcast and non-profit and governmental organizations. Her film Growing Up with Rockets was included with the first group of US documentaries to be screened in the former Soviet Union in the American Documentary Showcase, Glastnost Tour 1990.
NASM.2012.0024
Yasecko, Nancy
1957-2011
bulk 1980-1990
Nancy Yasecko, Vanguard Productions, gift, 2012
145 Film reels (143 16mm film reels - runtime of 40:24:65 2 35mm film reels - runtime of 58:23)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of approximately thirteen cubic feet of material related to the production and marketing of the documentary film Growing Up With Rockets including audio tapes; motion picture film and video recordings, scripts, post-production notes, reference material, correspondence, financial information, interview transcripts, news clippings, information regarding distribution contracts, event programs, photographs, and project descriptions and flowcharts. The researcher should note that the collection also contains 16mm film and rollettes, U-Matic cassettes, VHS tapes, 1 inch videotape, 3/4 inch videotape, and DVD. There are 191 motion picture items totaling 75:51:35. Audio tape formats include compact disc; 1/4 inch reel to reel; audio cassettes; and records in various sizes. There are 128 audio items in total. These items are not included in the container list but a NASM Archives staff person can assist you regarding access.
Organized into 6 series: Series 1: Production Series 2: Events Series 3: Publicity Series 4: Reference Series 5: Other Series 6: Oversize This collection was arranged at the time of processing to better reflect its main areas of subject matter. Within series, file units were placed in chronological order with undated material placed at the end of the series. Original folder titles were kept. Archivist's description appears below folder titles.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
No restrictions on access.
Growing Up With Rockets Collection, Acc. 2012-0024, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Photographs
Astronautics
Rocketry
Documentary films
Space vehicles
Manned space flight
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Videodiscs (dvd)
Video recordings
Electronic discs (cd)
Sound cassettes
Film reels
Motion pictures (visual works)
Movie scripts
Transcripts
Audiotapes
Videotapes
Clippings
Scripts (documents)