This is the fifth post in a small series of previously unpublished short essays to feature a selection of objects that have served as inspiration for designers. Each item would have about 150 or so words written to describe them and what inspiration they provided. The book unfortunately didn’t get published, and I thought it’d be great to share some of the shorts in a series of posts here on our Bulletin. 

5.

I’d always heard whispers as a kid that my great uncle worked for the government and travelled the world—yet, we never knew in what capacity. Apparently he must have also worked for NASA because he had these photos. They were given to my grandmother many, many years ago and they were one of the things I stumbled on as a child at her house. Visiting my grandparents always felt like a treasure hunt—if only I could sneak out of their sight to explore all rooms in the house.  

The image of Eugene Cernan is burned in my memory. I recall being very young and studying this image and the others, wondering who it was and what this extraordinary, unfamiliar place was. Many of my interests—whether design or art for myself or someone else—center around this scientific, yet childish wonder of the world. There’s a hunger for discovery and mystery together.