As the Iowa Digital Library approaches the 100,000-item mark, we’re celebrating this milestonetemp by highlighting some of our favorite items from the collections.

Title: James Van Allen on deck at an arctic rockoon expedition, 1950s
Creator: Joseph Kasper
Collection: Research Collections Images

Prof. James Van Allen adjusting equipment about to be sent aloft during an arctic expedition to launch research “rockoons,” precursors to rockets, at the very beginning of the Space Age. The subject matter is of interest to me, but I also like the fact that this image is from a slide taken by a graduate student on the expedition — it has the feel of a snapshot rather than a more “official” photograph, bringing us closer to the historic moment we are witnessing.

–Greg Prickman
Assistant Head, Special Collections & University Archives