Puzzle Wrapper, Buck Rogers
Object Details
- Date
- 1952
- Manufacturer
- Milton Bradley Company
- Summary
- This is the wrapper of a 1952 Buck Rogers Inlaid Puzzle, featuring the popular American space hero Buck Rogers. The image that appeared on this puzzle illustrates several of the iconic space-themed components of the Buck Rogers franchise: rocket ships, a space station, ray guns, and space-suited heroes.
- A version of what became the Buck Rogers character first appeared in the pulp magazine Amazing Stories in August 1928 as Anthony Rogers in Philip Francis Nowlan’s story “Armageddon 2419 A.D.” National Newspaper Service president John F. Dille recruited Nowlan to create a comic strip based on the character (illustrated by Dick Calkins), which debuted in 1929, followed by a color Sunday strip in 1930 and a radio program in 1932. Dille revived the franchise in the 1950s in response to the fantastical space enthusiasm of the time.
- Collector Michael O'Harro donated this artifact to the Museum in 1992.
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Credit Line
- Gift of Michael O'Harro; Copyright 1952, John F. Dille, Chicago, and Milton Bradley Co.
- Data Source
- National Air and Space Museum
- Inventory Number
- A19972693000
- Type
- LITERATURE AND RESEARCH-Miscellaneous
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Materials
- Paper, Ink, Adhesive coating
- Dimensions
- 2-D - Unframed (H x W): 36.8 × 26.8cm (14 1/2 × 10 9/16 in.)
- Record ID
- nasm_A19972693000
Wrapper for puzzle (puzzle pieces not included); depicts space hero Buck Rogers, second from right, in red top with black five-pointed star on chest, brown pants, transparent bubble helmet, yellow gloves, holding ray gun in one hand aimed at octopoid-like alien spacecraft with six red tentacles, blue spherical body, and yellow cockpit encircling top periphery of ship, engaged in space battle with Rogers and fellow Earthling space soliders wearing similar outfits with bubble helmets; overall background, blue, representing space; spaceships blasting enemy octopoid ship and one caught by it in one of the tentacles; border, red; scene marked with puzzle piece outlines; triangluar tan corner at lower right, with black lettering, reading, in part, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Inlaid Puzzle with Frame and Tray - Dupl;icate Picture for Framing on Back of Wrap - Milton Bradley Co. - Springfield, Mass." reverse, same image but without puzzle piece outlines.
