This control tower forms the centerpiece of an elaborate multi-piece Space Patrol Rocket Port set based upon the ABC-TV weekly half-hour series titled "Space Patrol," which ran from 1950-1956. It was manufactured by Louis Marx and Company, located in New York City, which also produced Flash Gordon branded merchandise in the 1930s. Fort-based playsets took advantage of the existing production of Western toys, which could be repurposed with new designs to appeal to space-minded youth. The figurines that could be played with in such a set represented spacemen and aliens.
Michael O'Harro, a collector, donated the tower--and the entire playset--to the National Air and Space Museum in 1993.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date
ca. 1950-1956
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Manufacturer
Louis Marx & Co.
Dimensions
3-D (Control Tower): 30.5 × 16.2 × 28.1cm (1 × 6 3/8 × 11 1/16 in.)
Materials
Tin
Paint
Inventory Number
A19970665000
Credit Line
Gift of Michael O'Harro
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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