[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record] – Antique Wall Art
![[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record], 1935 Nov. 11. — historic photograph](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/9f/9faaf4fe8751-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
A window into the past: [Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record], preserved in this historic photograph. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.
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[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record]
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From the floor of the Stratobowl, a natural depression near Rapid City, South Dakota, this view shows Explorer II about five minutes before its launch. On November 11, 1935, Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson rode the balloon into the stratosphere, a flight sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Army Air Corps that set a world altitude record. Their ascent was one of the first crewed journeys into the thin air far above the weather, and H. Lee Wells, Jr.'s photograph catches the ground preparations just before the balloon lifted off.
| Created / published | 1935 Nov. 11. |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 photographic print. |
| Notes | Photoprint by H. Lee Wells, Jr. This record contains unverified data from old caption card, with subsequent revisions. Caption card tracings: National Geographic Society; U.S. Army Air Corps; Expeditions; Balloons; Shelf. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,500 × 1,903 px · prints to 5 × 6 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-144009 |
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