Advice requested (Aerospace collector's item?)

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:37 pm

OK, here's the background story: When I was a pre-teen, I wanted to be
an Aeronautical Engineer. I went to Space Academy, made model rockets,
the whole nine yards. When my parents went to their 25th class reunion,
they talked to a man with whom they had attended high school, who was
now an Aerospace Engineer. They had me write to the man to ask about
the industry, and he very kindly sent me some blueprints from his work
on the Galileo spacecraft. This was sometime around 1990.

Now, it's pretty neat to have a small piece of space history, but I realized
these are just languishing in the bottom of my drawer. I became a different
type of engineer, and am not particularly interested on space anymore, so
the blueprints just don't seem to fire my imagination as they once might
have, though they are still pretty neat.

So, my question is, is there a way these items could be bringing more joy
to someone? Are there people who collect such things, or museums that
need them as displays? Or should I just keep them around in case my own
(unborn) children end up space-lovers?

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:42 pm

If your blueprints are accurate representations of what went to Jupiter they might be worth something. Otherwise, they would just be curios, and not worth as much. Put them on eBay and ask a whole bunch for them. See what happens.

djm

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:53 pm

Yeah, part of what I'm trying to figure out is if that's Kosher.
I don't know if I'd feel comfortable making money from
another engineer's work product that was given to me...

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:27 pm

fearfaoin wrote:Yeah, part of what I'm trying to figure out is if that's Kosher.
I don't know if I'd feel comfortable making money from
another engineer's work product that was given to me...

You could query the Museum of Flight to see if that's the kind of artefact they're interested in accepting.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:16 am

s1m0n wrote:
fearfaoin wrote:Yeah, part of what I'm trying to figure out is if that's Kosher.
I don't know if I'd feel comfortable making money from
another engineer's work product that was given to me...
You could query the Museum of Flight to see if that's the kind of artefact they're interested in accepting.

The Museum of Flight does have several spaceship displays. It's a great museum, though I haven't been since they expanded their facility. I really should visit it again.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:44 pm

How does one deal with a museum? Just talk to a curator?
Email random people until someone responds? It'd be neat
if they have room to display it (maybe it could say "from the
fearfoain collection"...), but even if they're better able to store
it than I, that might be a pretty good thing.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:47 pm

http://www.museumofflight.org/Display.a ... =ContactUs

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:52 pm

Denny wrote:http://www.museumofflight.org/Display.a ... =ContactUs

I suppose I know HOW to contact a museum, I'm just wondering what
the process is. Do I just say "My blueprints, let me show you them"?
I guess I can start with that...

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:00 pm

I'm an ME by trade and I love all that space stuff. Its why I wanted to be an engineer. Any way you could show a print of it??? Just a tease

I had a friend show me some linnen drawings of navy vessels at Portsmouth Navel Shipyard and it was a work of art ( or Bob). Colored inks- really wonderful stuff

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:10 pm

fearfaoin wrote:
Denny wrote:http://www.museumofflight.org/Display.a ... =ContactUs
I suppose I know HOW to contact a museum, I'm just wondering what
the process is. Do I just say "My blueprints, let me show you them"?
I guess I can start with that...

tell'em what you told us...ask their opinion

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:49 pm

Yeah, I guess they're just people.
It's a bit intimidating for some reason.

fel bautista wrote:I'm an ME by trade and I love all that space stuff. Its why I wanted to be an engineer. Any way you could show a print of it??? Just a tease

As soon as I figure out how to use my panoramic photography software,
I'll definitely stick it up on the web. It deserves to be seen.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:27 pm

This list is hacked from a .pdf on their site

ContaCt the MuseuM
www.museumofflight.org
4-hour info line
, 206-764-5720
administrative offices
, 206-764-5700
info@museumofflight.org
Membership office
, 206-764-5711
membership@museumofflight.org
Volunteer office
, 206-768-7179
volunteers@museumofflight.org
education programs
, 206-768-7143
rlienesch@museumofflight.org
Challenger Learning Center
, 206-768-7216
mkwong@museumofflight.org
aviation Learning Center
, 206-768-7228
ddreher@museumofflight.org
Private events office
, 206-764-5706
specialevents@museumofflight.org
Library
, 206-768-7160
library@museumofflight.org
Restoration Center
, 425-745-5150
Museum store
, 206-764-5704
www.museumofflightstore.org
Wings Café
, 206-762-4418

I'd suggest emailing the library@museumofflight.org address, and asking if what you have is the kind of document they're interested in archiving, and if so, would they be interested in receiving it as a donation.

swizzlestick · Post by **swizzlestick** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:35 pm

It's a bit intimidating for some reason.

And look at it from their point of
view. They are always looking for donations, a new discovery, the odd bit of history. This is the interesting stuff. I've worked around museums -- I know.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:36 am

OK, after talking with folks in PM a bit, I've come to realize that I probably
shouldn't be passing these on without the gifter's permission, since his job
could certainly be at stake (bureaucracy, etc.) So, until I figure out how to
get in touch with him again, I think I'll hang on to them. Thanks for the ideas,
I'll keep them in mind when I'm sure I can safely part with these items.

In the meantime, does anyone know of a better way to store these blueprints?
They're getting a bit yellowed and are separating at the folds a little. Can they
(should they) be laminated? Or maybe framed in some way? (They're odd
sizes, one is 11" by 40".)

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:51 am

I bet the library people would be ideal for asking preservation advice. They might even be able to tell you how old something needs to be before it can be passed on, in the event you can't locate the original donor.