Kansas Cosmosphere, Hutchinson.

I have made two visits to the fabulous Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas. The first visit was not long after I arrived in the U.S. and it was one of the first road trips I made. At that time I was overwhelmed by everything I saw and in an almost paralyzed state of culture shock and it took me several months to gain some sort of equilibration photographically. At the best of times my photographing was erratic and I felt very much the alien I was/am and it is strangely fitting that the Cosmosphere was one of the first museums I visited.

It was over that first winter when I slowly I began to pick up on various photographic threads which I wanted to explore further. Ideas and projects then began to take shape and some of these early Cosmoshere images found themselves part of my first two projects, 'Running on Empty' and 'States of Grace'. The images posted here were made on both Hutchinson visits. On the second visit I did not go into the museum itself, but instead became fixated on the grounds surrounding it and found the contrast between these imposing relics from the space race standing amongst an everyday American vernacular too irresistible to not record.

Here is some background and information taken from the Kansas sampler website:

The Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center is one of The 8 Wonders of Kansas because it has one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world! The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, conceived by long-time Hutchinson resident Patricia Carey, is one of America's premier space centers. Making its start as a small planetarium on the Kansas State Fairgrounds, the Cosmosphere is now an internationally-acclaimed staple of the space science community. Educating patrons from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Carey IMAX Dome Theater, one of only 14 IMAXR dome theaters in the world; a planetarium; and astronaut training camps for all ages. Located in central Hutchinson, the Cosmosphere, a non-profit organization, is unique to Kansas. Its Hall of Space Museum is one of only three museums in the world to display flown spacecraft from all three early-manned space programs - Mercury (Liberty Bell 7), Gemini (Gemini 10) and Apollo (Apollo 13). In regard to depth and size, the Cosmosphere's space artifact collection is second only to that of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Similarly, the Cosmosphere's Hall of Space Museum harbors the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside Moscow. Proudly placed in Kansas, the Cosmosphere has also taken part in many documentaries and films. Most notably, the Cosmosphere built the spacecraft and hardware used in the movie Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks.

Kansas Cosmosphere website:

http://www.cosmo.org

Kansas Sampler:

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/8wondersofkansas-view.php?id=14