Back in 1976 or so, when I was 11 years-old, my family took a vacation trip to Washington D.C. with a side trip to the Amish country of Pennsylvania. I was particularly excited to visit the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum because I knew that the original
U.S.S. Enterprise model, used in the filming of
Star Trek, was on display there. Everything else about that trip was pretty much of secondary importance to me. What really mattered was getting to see that fabulous starship with my own eyes.
Upon our arrival at the Air & Space Museum, I dragged my family right past the
Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright Bros. plane - though I did stop briefly to examine the Apollo capsule they had on display - and headed for the "Life In The Universe?" exhibit, where, suspended from the ceiling, was the
Enterprise in all her glory. With my little Kodak camera, I took almost a dozen photos of the starship, from just as many different angles, and marveled at being in the ship's presence. Eventually, my parents dragged me away, and I enjoyed the rest of my visit to the museum.
Unfortunately, when I had my film developed after our trip, I discovered that the camera had jammed, leaving me with a single print - of a
dozen superimposed images of the
Enterprise from a dozen angles. Oddly, the camera worked fine before and after I tried to shoot the model.
Hmmm....
Anyway, that's why this post is illustrated with pix I found online.
The
Enterprise is still on display at the Air & Space Museum, although it's been repainted a few times and moved to the Gift Shop. One of these days, I hope to get back there and visit the great lady again....
Everyone should make the pilgrimage once in their lifetime to see the great lady!
ReplyDeleteIt's in the gift shop?? What the? I prefer the original condition to the gaudy repaint. Some things don't need to be "rebooted."
ReplyDeleteThe thing that takes me back about this post is not the Enterprise, but the fact that you mention taking pictures with a FILM camera. Oh, how I miss them. They really made taking pictures an experience that is lost with today's digital (and far more practical, I admit) digital cameras.
ReplyDeleteI was in D.C. back in 1998 for a business trip. The first thing on my mind, was visiting the air & space museum to see the Enterprise. When I got there it was gone.....It was loaned out temporarily for a traveling museum exhibit. Argh!
ReplyDelete