Electric Robot and Son Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 I changed the title of this post in the hopes that a fellow Aphadromer might have one of these or know something about it. I can't believe this is the only one of these. Maybe someone has seen a magazine ad for it. It must have come out in 1953 or later since it was made using the BEEMAK space patrol helmet molds.I paid Joe a visit at the Toy Robot Museum on June 30. I went to Renningers first since it was extravaganza weekend. I picked up a not a space Patrol Helmet there. The seller said he had just picked up the helmet from the original owner a couple of days ago. I didn't have one of these so I emptied my piggy bank (drained the ATM machine) and headed for the Museum. Here are some pictures of the box helmet and paperwork. At this point it looks like a space patrol Helmet.... and one of the direction sheets still looks like a space patrol helmet.... But here is what is inside the box It's called a Westinghouse Cosmic Scouts Helmet! Joe and I looked all over the internet and couldn't find any information on it. Has anyone seen one of these before?Here are the other directions it came with The helmet has a speaker under the white cap on top with a wire and connector coming out. According to the directions the cable was supposed to connect to a switch box (which is missing) and the switch box was supposed to connect to the speaker cable in a radio or TV so you could here the sound from your favorite TV or radio show in your Westinghouse Cosmic Scouts Helmet. You can see the speaker on the inside of the helmet: So the big question is has anyone seen one of these before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Wild. Completely new to me! Great score, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil R Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Picture. Then scroll down on link. http://spacemanstoychest.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothut Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I wonder if a search of Mr. Pendray the head of P.R. for Westing house might turn up something? Pendray was hired at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company as assistant to the president. One of his responsibilities was public relations In 1958 he was a consultant to the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration of the United States House of Representatives. Pendray helped in the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Edward_Pendray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 New to me too, nice pickup Joe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 The helmet itself is the same box as the Space Patrol helmet made by Beemak plastics. It looks like there was a hole cut in the top to add the speaker and the white plastic plastic cover. The address on the box says it was shipped to American ADV Service in Lancaster Pennsylvania. I wonder if this was a company that dealt with "mail away premiums" . Perhaps the helmets were mailed here, and a speaker, cover and, switchbox kit was added to the helmet. (the box lid does not close all the way with the speaker and white speaker cover installed) so that may have been installed by the purchaser. The images on the helmet are not decals like the space patrol version, but are either painted or silkscreened on the helmet. That could have been done by Beemak. The speaker switchbox was supposed to be mounted on the back of the TV and tied into the TV speaker. That is probably why it was no longer with the helmet.Joe K.You had talked to the seller before me, do you remember where the seller said he had found the helmet? Was it in Lancaster? I know it was somewhere in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 The inflatable collar and backpacks were inflated using a small plastic tube that came with the helmet. It was enclosed in a waxy paper packet. I assume this was the same as the Space Patrol helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Just before Botstock I won some pictures of a boy in a Westinghouse Space helmet. I planned to show them there but I forgot to bring them. The helmet shown in the picture is a similar Westinghouse helmet to mine (with the speaker under a white cap on top of the helmet), but the marking on the helmet is a little different. My helmet is marked WESTINGHOUSE COSMIC SCOUTS SPACE COMMANDER. The one in the picture is marked WESTINGHOUSE SPACE RANGER ROCKY JONES. I assume that Westinghouse was thesponsor of the Rocky Jones Space Ranger TV show and had offered that version of the helmet as a mail away or dealer available item. My version may have come before or after the Rocky Jones version, when Westinghouse was not sponsoring the show. Other than this picture I still have not been able to find any other pictures or information on the Westinghouse speaker version of the Bemak Plastics space helmet. Here is the picture and a zoomed in versionIf anyone comes across any additional information on the helmet please post it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I think I saw a kid on "My favorite Martian" wearing one of these in an intro to the show. Great pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Great find Joe, well done.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenMarx Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 What a great helmet, Joe! Congrats on a fantastic find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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