Paul F. Brandenburg Collection
Collection
Identifier: 2024.003
Dates
- 1948 - 1960
Creator
Extent
1 Collection
Language of Materials
English
Accruals
Collection contains multiple accruals, see below notes for context.
Following from donor:
There are lots of photos and slides, some of which are official White Sands photos and many of which are photos and slides my father took. He was an avid photographer! He not only took photos, but also developed prints and took both 8 mm and 16 mm movies. When we moved to a farm after he retired, one of the first things he did was build a darkroom in the basement.
After the WW2, our father started courting our mother, Virginia Mall, who lived in St. Louis. They were married on October 15, 1949. Many of the handwritten notes on the backs of the photos were written to her during their courtship.
The 8 mm movies I uploaded were rather crudely digitized by projecting the movies on a screen and recording them with a video camera. Although the picture quality is not the best, they include interesting, insightful, and at times humorous commentary by Virginia. I am so glad we got her memories on record before she died in 2004.
My dad had 4 large reels of 16 mm movies, which I remember watching as a kid. We think he might have used a 16 mm camera the survived a V2 trip. Unfortunately, I could not get his old 16 mm projector to work, so I could not record them with my video camera. And unfortunately, we have been unable to find the 16 mm camera.
My brother and I want to be able to give the museum better quality digitized movies, so I will soon be sending all his White Sands era movies, 8 mm and 16 mm, to Kodak to be professionally digitized. When that is completed, I will send the digitized versions and the original movies to the museum.
Among the items I uploaded is a paper written by my former husband, /REDACTED/ (an AF vet, like me) for a college class based on an interview with my dad. The paper includes fascinating descriptions of his work, the cutting edge technology of the time, and the V2 rocket the landed in Mexico. Spoiler alert: Werner Von Braun was the one who vetoed a recommendation to bring it down early, convinced it would correct course.
We truly appreciate the opportunity to donate our dad’s White Sands materials to the museum. He put a lot of work into documenting his experiences there with the V2 program. He would be so happy to know that the products of his efforts are going home to While Sands to be available to those who are interested in this slice of history.
There are lots of photos and slides, some of which are official White Sands photos and many of which are photos and slides my father took. He was an avid photographer! He not only took photos, but also developed prints and took both 8 mm and 16 mm movies. When we moved to a farm after he retired, one of the first things he did was build a darkroom in the basement.
After the WW2, our father started courting our mother, Virginia Mall, who lived in St. Louis. They were married on October 15, 1949. Many of the handwritten notes on the backs of the photos were written to her during their courtship.
The 8 mm movies I uploaded were rather crudely digitized by projecting the movies on a screen and recording them with a video camera. Although the picture quality is not the best, they include interesting, insightful, and at times humorous commentary by Virginia. I am so glad we got her memories on record before she died in 2004.
My dad had 4 large reels of 16 mm movies, which I remember watching as a kid. We think he might have used a 16 mm camera the survived a V2 trip. Unfortunately, I could not get his old 16 mm projector to work, so I could not record them with my video camera. And unfortunately, we have been unable to find the 16 mm camera.
My brother and I want to be able to give the museum better quality digitized movies, so I will soon be sending all his White Sands era movies, 8 mm and 16 mm, to Kodak to be professionally digitized. When that is completed, I will send the digitized versions and the original movies to the museum.
Among the items I uploaded is a paper written by my former husband, /REDACTED/ (an AF vet, like me) for a college class based on an interview with my dad. The paper includes fascinating descriptions of his work, the cutting edge technology of the time, and the V2 rocket the landed in Mexico. Spoiler alert: Werner Von Braun was the one who vetoed a recommendation to bring it down early, convinced it would correct course.
We truly appreciate the opportunity to donate our dad’s White Sands materials to the museum. He put a lot of work into documenting his experiences there with the V2 program. He would be so happy to know that the products of his efforts are going home to While Sands to be available to those who are interested in this slice of history.
Transcribed note for 2024.003.330b:
"Here I am pushing the button that turns on our equipment in the rocket. This is inside the concrete block house. Immediately behind me, you can't see it, are the controls that actually send the rocket on its way.
This area becomes quite a scramble a few minutes before takeoff but orders and directive goes out over telephone as well as radio in a not comical[?] manner. Come on out and I'll give you a ride in a rocket, it's a one way trip, want it?"
Transcribed note for 2024.003.331b, found in Ms. Brandenburg's wallet after she passed:
"Aug. 1950
Lady be good
The mans
got a gun"
Original Shipment Contents
Box 1 The V2 model made from the sand at White Sands The original circular slide rule from the time that our father was stationed at White Sands Note: this is “doubled boxed” to ensure safe transport
Box 2 Our father’s physical photos from his time at White Sands Box 3 Our father’s physical slides from his time at White Sands One Reel to Reel audio tape of our father describing the rocket slides from his slide show (I just located it and decided to send as we are transferring copyrights and believe you would like to include the descriptions in the actual words of the photographer from the time period – we have transferred this and other items to digital format and plan on sending when we compile the complete collection of items that are in digital format) The size of the audio recording is too large for attachment to this email, or I would have sent it. I can place it in DropBox if you wish to listen to it prior to us sending all digital items. A few notes on the slides. They were organized by slide trays by our father and when we digitized, each slide was assigned a letter and sequential number. (likely you will find this on the back side of the slide as slides are reversed in slide trays) For example, rockets were in slide tray identified “B” with a number starting at 1 and increasing. This allows you to see the original order compiled by our father and matches the audio tape narration I mentioned previously. Please forgive, but I forgot to check that the slides were in numeric order in the holders prior to sending. Also, you are receiving the original slides (likely Kodachrome 25) in their original holders. Although slides hold color very well for years, there may be slight damage to certain slides. When these were digitized, my sister undertook certain restoration to improve the digital copies. Finally, I have included slides from other slide trays where the images were directly related to White Sands. This includes images of people and life on base. For example, there are several images of the White Sands Girl Scout Brownie Troop as our mother was a Toop Leader. We certainly hope you find these “behind the scenes" images of life on base interesting. Oh, I should note that the last slides in the binder are from the Captain’s Farewell Party and included folks dressed in costumes.
I would be remiss if I did not pass on one interesting story from our parent’s time at White Sands: Our parents were married in St Louis while our father was stationed at White Sands. They had been considering marriage for a while and our father would travel to St Louis from time to time to visit where they were married in October of 1949. Imagine the adjustment for this young city girl to the life of a military base in in the middle of New Mexico. Upon arriving, our mother noted that the wives gave her a rather chilly reception and one day it was mentioned that each time our father returned from a trip to St Louis without a bride, he jokingly told folks that our mother had stood him up at the alter yet once again – simple not true. Our mother forced him to set the record straight and she was warmly accepted into the life of the base from then on.
If you wish, I will check with my sister if there are any other stories that our parents related to us that may be of interest. Like the time the Range allowed a V2 to cross the border into Mexico.
Box 1 The V2 model made from the sand at White Sands The original circular slide rule from the time that our father was stationed at White Sands Note: this is “doubled boxed” to ensure safe transport
Box 2 Our father’s physical photos from his time at White Sands Box 3 Our father’s physical slides from his time at White Sands One Reel to Reel audio tape of our father describing the rocket slides from his slide show (I just located it and decided to send as we are transferring copyrights and believe you would like to include the descriptions in the actual words of the photographer from the time period – we have transferred this and other items to digital format and plan on sending when we compile the complete collection of items that are in digital format) The size of the audio recording is too large for attachment to this email, or I would have sent it. I can place it in DropBox if you wish to listen to it prior to us sending all digital items. A few notes on the slides. They were organized by slide trays by our father and when we digitized, each slide was assigned a letter and sequential number. (likely you will find this on the back side of the slide as slides are reversed in slide trays) For example, rockets were in slide tray identified “B” with a number starting at 1 and increasing. This allows you to see the original order compiled by our father and matches the audio tape narration I mentioned previously. Please forgive, but I forgot to check that the slides were in numeric order in the holders prior to sending. Also, you are receiving the original slides (likely Kodachrome 25) in their original holders. Although slides hold color very well for years, there may be slight damage to certain slides. When these were digitized, my sister undertook certain restoration to improve the digital copies. Finally, I have included slides from other slide trays where the images were directly related to White Sands. This includes images of people and life on base. For example, there are several images of the White Sands Girl Scout Brownie Troop as our mother was a Toop Leader. We certainly hope you find these “behind the scenes" images of life on base interesting. Oh, I should note that the last slides in the binder are from the Captain’s Farewell Party and included folks dressed in costumes.
I would be remiss if I did not pass on one interesting story from our parent’s time at White Sands: Our parents were married in St Louis while our father was stationed at White Sands. They had been considering marriage for a while and our father would travel to St Louis from time to time to visit where they were married in October of 1949. Imagine the adjustment for this young city girl to the life of a military base in in the middle of New Mexico. Upon arriving, our mother noted that the wives gave her a rather chilly reception and one day it was mentioned that each time our father returned from a trip to St Louis without a bride, he jokingly told folks that our mother had stood him up at the alter yet once again – simple not true. Our mother forced him to set the record straight and she was warmly accepted into the life of the base from then on.
If you wish, I will check with my sister if there are any other stories that our parents related to us that may be of interest. Like the time the Range allowed a V2 to cross the border into Mexico.
Creator
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the White Sands Missile Range Museum Archival Research Center Repository
Contact:
Building 200 Headquarters Avenue
White Sands Missile Range NM 88002
575-678-3358
usarmy.wsmr.museum@mail.mil
Building 200 Headquarters Avenue
White Sands Missile Range NM 88002
575-678-3358
usarmy.wsmr.museum@mail.mil