As part of our home improvement project, I convinced my wife to turn our large interior foyer wall into a three-print gallery of sorts. The idea is that we’d put literary/magazine inspired prints there, which fits with the theme of our first floor (you can see the large wall-covering bookshelf in the library when you walk in the front door).
What inspired this idea was the discovered that the web site Vinylz Art is selling 24″ high by 32″ wide posters of Analog Science Fiction and Fact covers from the late 1960s and early-to-mid 1970s. Browsing through their collection, I found two that I think would be particularly good for the foyer. Both involve space ships, which makes them kid friendly (my daughter StarGirl loves spaceships, but is less-than-thrilled with aliens).
The first is Analog Science Fiction-Science Fact Vol 96, No. 7, July 1976, which features what looks like a Daedalus-style starship and an orbital space plane rising to meet it. The Earth (or some other planet?) fills the lower 1/3 of the cover. The cover appeals to me visually, evoking an old-fashioned hard-science fiction feel. Moreover, it has teasers for two others I enjoy: Arthur C. Clarke and Joe Hadleman. I also like that it’s from America’s bicentennial July, which is a subtly patriotic thing. I’m a little concerned that the bright aqua lettering might not fit the room well, but I think we can get it to work if we find the right blue paint for the background.
The cover of my second choice, Analog Science Fiction-Science Fact Vol 92, No. 2, October 1973, doesn’t have the same sentimental value as the July 1976 one, but it’s striking with its Io-colored moon in the foreground, binary red/white stars in the background, and two starships seemingly ready to fly off the screen. It would work well with some of the beige/blonde/dark red colors we’ve been thinking of.
So what prints go with these? A Harry Potter cover might do the trick, as we both love those books, and with any luck, we should be able to find one in poster form. The third poster will be entirely Sue’s, and I can’t wait to see what she picks out.