Grand Central Terminal, 1957

The history of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal is filled with mysteries and oddities, many of which are still at least partially visible today if you know where to look. For three weeks in 1957, there was a Redstone rocket on display in the concourse. The Soviet Union had launched Sputnik into space in October of that year, and the Americans responded by putting a rocket in a train station to boost the public’s sunken morale. Walking through the concourse today, you can still see the place on the ceiling where a guyline was attached to stabilize the Redstone.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first color image of the Grand Central Rocket.