ORIGINAL 1962 TELSTAR I SATELLITE CONTRACTORS DESK MODEL MADE BY L.G. BALFOUR

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ORIGINAL 1962 TELSTAR I SATELLITE CONTRACTORS DESK MODEL MADE BY L.G. BALFOUR:
$149.99

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From a Green Valley estate near Tucson some years ago is this well crafted original contractor\'s desk model of Telstar I, the first successful telecommunications satellite - an international joint venture, mainly accomplished by Bell Telephone Laboratories as primary contractor and delivered into orbit by NASA. The sculptural congratulatory prize for a major coup in the so called American / Soviet \"Space Race\" was commissioned from L.G. Balfour in 1962, and given only to team engineers and contractor employees who actually participated on the project - this is the real deal. The highly detailed \"satellite\" is well crafted from silver colored metal, mounted by a substantial brass rod to the shaped wood base. There is the distinctive twisted wire antenna, which will raise and lower in emulation of the full size version. The base would have originally sported a simple brass plaque with \"TELSTAR / JULY 10, 1962\", now missing on this example. That said, the original green felt under the base is still present, as is the L.G. Balfour Company silver label. Condition is quite fine though not absolutely perfect, with a nice aura of genuine age and an attractive presence. Telstar itself looks great, with toned silver surfaces and no damage or any hidden restorations to dampen your day. The birds nest wire antenna is somewhat disheveled as usual and one tiny solder join has separated, but it is otherwise attached as proper and all there; the attaching rod still extends and retracts (it will hold the extended pose, and can actually come all the way out). The wood base has a couple of minor edge nicks and the small amount of edge wear one would expect from years of display on a desk (see pics). A few moth grazing surface nips to the felt pad at bottom complete the picture. A look at those pics should give a good idea of appearance and condition. Size is about 5 3/4 in. long and 3 1/4 in. across; about 3 13/16 in. high at the antenna when fully retracted (a smidge over 4 1/4 in. when extended), and 3 1/2 in. high to top of satellite itself. If you collect original artifacts relating to American Cold War Era scientific efforts to boldly go where no man had gone before, or simply wish this single charismatic Mid Century improvement to the ambiance of each day, this will have great meaning for you.

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