Mirro Satellite Explorer Helmet

Calling all stars! Real out-of-this-world headgear, for spacemenr (and space-women!). Make believe natenna and earphones. One-way-vision shield (you see out, no one sees in). Of shining, satrdust-resistent aluminum!

This is one of my favorite vintage toys, so reminiscent of the Wernher von Braun-inspired helmets popularized in magazine illustrations and books in the early Fifties, it's the Mirro space helmet.

Made by the Manitowoc, Wisconsin firm, the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Co., the Satellite Explorer Aluminum Helmet By Mirro can be dated back by an advertisement in a parent's magazine for November 1956.

through a blurb describing it's preview at an American toy fair, in early 1957 describes the helmet is topped with a realistic spring communication antenna and a cosmic ray face plate (both of which are usually absent from surviving pieces) which allows the wearer to see out but no outsiders can see in.

Link to forums

Some illustrations later on show an extension to the spring antenna with a flat shape, perhaps a propellor, fixed on top.

My helmet is a typical survivor. The face plate was replaced by clear plastic, the "original antenna" as described by the seller was just a piece of twisted coat hanger pretending to be, and the top of the dome was dented. Unfortunately it's difficult to find these soft aluminum helmets completely dent free, even otherwise pristine examples. But it was at a low price, and it cleaned up well for a display.

British-Built Space Port

Here's an eye-popper I ran across on eBay from two years ago.

This is a British-made space play set, at least that's according to what the seller described. Apparently it's fashioned from wood (plywood? masonite?), dowels or tubes and a few plastic domes, giving it a wonderful hand-made feel not seen in most vintage space toys. It's much different than those we're used to seeing back in the States. Leave it to the British to add their own charming twist in space toys. I love the multiple boomerang platforms and the sky-scraping towers. And those free-form antennea towers... It's sculptural. It's artistic. It's all very googie! The metallic blue and silver paint shows off the amorphic shapes to the fullest effect.

The larger Archer-sized space figures fit nicely in this futuristic play set, as seen in the photos. I only wish I had the manufacturer for this one so that I could research a little history behind it.

The real cool thing about this set is if you're handy at all with a saw and some sandpaper, you could construct something very similar to this space port toy.

. . . You know, it'd be really funny if it turned out that someone with the right artistic talent actually did make this theirself . . .

Three Space Helmets

Here the are: the General Mills premium for Captain Video, the Arant Plastics bubble and the Banner Plastics helmet with Radar Goggles.

I wonder what General Mills is doing for a cereal premium nowadays?

The Arant 'Egg' Helmet

Vintage photo of space boy drawing a bead on a few ne'er-do-well space aliens while keeping his head comfortably pressurized thanks to the egg-helmet


Vintage photo of a grown-up space girl wearing the Arant Plastics egg-helmet. Notice the stares of the crowds behind her, wishing they too owned rhier very own Egg.

The designation of this model on the box simply reads "Space Helmet"... but for my purposes I like to refer to it as the Arant "Egg" helmet.

I've seen these pictured in quite a number of vintage photos, manufactured by Arant Plastics of Patterson, New Jersey. It may not have been as popular as other brands, but it is a marvelous example of toy space helmet technology.

Unlike the Space Patrol bubble helmet, this model completely covers the wearer's face, with just a few air slots over the mouth. It seems to be designed for both younger and older space people alike, a one-size-fits-all invention, thanks to it's revolutionary egg shape.

Also ahead of it's time is the intellegent use of wind-power through the pinwheel tipped-antennea. Or maybe its there to provide lift? Or maybe just to cool-off the wearer during those trips to Venus or Mercury? We may never know...

By the way, either some models of this helmet seem to feature just the simple spring antennea with no props, or the pinwheel was removed by the consumer.

Captain Meteor Holster

Sometimes a little accesory added to the main showpiece can be a work unto itself. Such is the case with this silvery finished leather ray gun holster. Originally paired with belt and buckle, this housed a small yet deadly sparkling space pistol measures 7.5" in length, of plastic construction with replaceable flint.

There were at least two versions of a Captain Meteor ray gun holster. This one is the flashier of the two in my opinion. Judging from the strong atomic graphics I'd date this as a 1950's issue.

Curtains for the Spaceman's Bedroom

Genuine barkcloth drapes with colorful depictions reminiscent of the 1950 movie Destination Moon.