1959 B An alternate history Text by Michael Baccam illustration by Stephen Knezovich
Mar 08, 2016
1 9 5 9 - bAn Alternate History
TEXT BY MICHAEL BACCAM
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHEN KNEZOVICH
1 9 5 9 BAn alternate history
Text by Michael Baccam
illustration by Stephen Knezovich
1959B
I n t r o d u c t i o n
In 2012, Sarah Wesseler asked if I
wanted to work with a visual artist for a
Satellite Magazine collaboration project. I said I wanted to work with this guy
Steve [unpronouncable last name: ka-nes-o-vitch?] who makes weird collages.
Knezovich and I threw some ideas around,
most of which involved pawning tasks that
we’d normally do onto the other person
(i.e., I would select source materials
for the illustrations; he would cherry
pick text from said materials for me to
turn into written stories; and so on). I
bought some issues of Life from 1959 and all of the National Geographics for that same year, and Steve cut out one-hundred-
fifty text snippets from those magazines.
He told me to do whatever I wanted with
them and that he’d make the collages based
on the stories they inspired.
I had some ideas about children turning
into motorcycles, old people stuffed
into cannons, and Germans caught in a
whistleroom. I tried writing a single
narrative, a braided narrative, gibberish.
I tried a collage approach, spreading the
half-inch snippets on my kitchen table and
using packaging tape to stick different
combinations of words to blank pieces of
paper. I asked Steve to send me the text
again because I ruined the first copies.
Eventually, I decided to use real headlines
from 1959 for each month. The stories
contain some true details (Nixon’s trip,
Foster’s attempt at the motel pool, etc.)
but with other elements thrown in. Almost
all of them use quotes from the text Steve
gave me (everything from entire lines and
phrases to a single name or place), and for
some, the text was just a starting point
and then I veered way off. The stories
aren’t meant to be summaries or captions
but rather text extracted from imagined
National Geographic-like articles.
I gave Steve the twelve stories, and he
went to work, cutting the 1959 magazines
to shreds while creating the collages.
This book is the flawed and messy love
child of our union.
− Michael Baccam
M e c h t a e s c a p e s
e a r t h ’ s g r a v i t y
Jan 4
We all watched the
television screens and
listened, the metal craft
trembling in a numbing
wash of air and fire.
Bogdan stared at the
sky, waiting for a rip of
light. If Mechta failed,
he would have to wait
another year. If not,
he’d leave Novosibirsk.
Am e r i c a n A i r l i n e s ’
E l e c t r a C r a s h e s i n
N Y ’ s E a s t R i v e r
Feb 3
The prisoners were hurled
forward violently into
their shoulder harnesses.
Jolted and spun about, the
plane floated weightless
in air for a moment
before falling, killing
all 65 passengers.
Korolyov ordered another
“controlled crash” to
test the impact equipment
for Lunik 4.
R o b e r t F o s t e r s e t s
r e c o r d b y s t ay i n g
u n d e rwat e r 1 3 m 4 2 . 5 s
Mar 15
Pulling himself out of
the swimming pool at
the Bermuda Palms Motel
(San Rafeal, California)
after nearly 14 minutes,
Foster collapsed and had
to be revived by EMTs.
A former electronics
engineer, Foster (age 32)
had moved to Hollywood and
was marketing himself as
a man of the future. “Man
is three machines,” he’d
said before the attempt.
“A tank. A motorcycle.”
C a s t r o b e g i n s U S
g o o dw i l l t o u r ; c o p s
o n p r ow l f o r b o o t s
apr 15
The new prime minister of
Cuba met with Secretary
of State Herter. Before
entering the State
Department building,
Castro demanded that
everyone remove their
boots. A half hour was
spent negotiating the
definition of “boots.”
U.S. security personnel
were allowed to keep their
footwear; 23 civilian
staff were removed from
the premises.
1 st house with bu i lt- i n
bomb shelter exh i b ited
( P l easant H i l l s P a )
may 24
The compartments are
fairly spacious and the
beds have springs. In
the jukebox of “The Pit,”
four silent records are
available. Two have
beeps, the others have
only needle scratch.
“After, we’re going to
record our own music,”
Bill says. “But we have
to wait.”
1 s t o f f i c i a l
“ m i s s i l e m a i l ” l a n d s
( J a c k s o n v i l l e F L )
Jun 8
Summerfield proclaimed
the missile launch from
the U.S. Navy submarine
a groundbreaking moment.
“California to DC in only
a couple hours,” he said.
Janice Hughes of Palatka
was impressed. “I like
the little parachutes,”
she said. “Maybe someday
the rockets will land
right on our porches.”
The cost to mail a
letter will be four
cents domestic and eight
international.
V P R i c h a r d N i x o n
v i s i t s s o u t h e r n
S i b e r i a n c i t y
Jul 29
Nixon was given a tour of
the hydroelectric station
and treated to a ballet
in the evening. Though
Novosibirsk was a town
of unpaved roads, freely
roaming livestock, and
wood houses reminiscent
of Depression-era shacks,
he was enamored of it and
its people.
Before leaving the next
morning, he stopped the
motorcade in the town
center, stood on the hood
of his car, and gave an
impromptu speech. The
vice president thanked
his hosts, complimented
the town’s technological
advancement, and then
declared that he would
seek to ban promotional
cheesecake. The people
cheered for five minutes.
D i s c o v e r e r 5 l a u n c h e d
i n t o p o l a r o r b i t
Aug 13
The sailor at the control
console took a last
look at the television
screen and then at his
checklist.
The chief officer said,
almost laconically, “Push
the pickle.” The sailor’s
thumb went down, and the
spy satellite on the
screen dissolved into a
cloud of smoke.
S o v i e t U n i o n ’ s L u n i k 2
i s 1 s t s p a c e c r a f t t o
l a n d o n t h e m o o n
Sep 14
His robot creation, hurled
aloft on raging streamers
of fire, finally reached
its destination. It was
the first time a manmade
object had impacted the
moon. Both the Soviets
and Americans had already
flown by but missed their
target.
Sikorsky smiled. “It’s
so easy now,” he said.
“Like a practice flight
with models.”
F a r s i d e o f M o o n
s e e n f o r 1 s t t i m e ,
c o m p l i m e n t s o f
U S S R ’ s L u n i k 3
Oct 18
Bogdan took 29 photos on
October 8. He processed
the film, let it dry,
scanned it, and began
transmission to Moscow.
He waited for a response
as Lunik drifted back
toward Earth.
Command sent an error
message and asked him to
resend the photographs.
Bogdan kept pushing the
button.
On October 18, they sent
their last transmission:
“17 photos secured.”
Bogdan asked which ones,
but he received no reply.
H awa i i ’ s K i l a u e a
v o l c a n o e r u p t s
Nov 14
As the earthquakes
subsided, we heard
reports of lava pouring
from the crater. Someone
said the trees had
sparked bright yellow
and disintegrated.
At the base of the volcano,
Sikorsky was distraught.
The crew he had hired to
recover Lunik had fled.
He headed toward the dock
and disappeared into a
ship’s cabin. The lava
carried the boats to the
ocean, and we watched as
they melted, descended
straight down, masts
upright.
D a n i s h C o mm u n i s t s
s e n t t o j a i l
Dec 22
The East German spies
were sentenced to five
years in prison. During
the trial, prosecutors
accused the spies of
brainwashing orphans
and turning them into
military fighters.
One of the kids, whom the
press began to call “Baby
Ricky” on account of
his tan skin, testified
that the Communists had
strapped lights to his
eyes and made him blink
in Morse code in order
to communicate with the
other children.
g e o c i t i e s a d d r e s sbaccam
MB wishes he were a little
bit taller. He wishes he were
a baller. He wishes he had a
girl, he would call her.
t h e n ewg r a vy c a k e . c o mknezovich
Language and story play a major
role in SK’s work. Through a
process of deconstruction,
juxtaposition, and addition
by subtraction, each piece
is an attempt to recreate
meaning, tell a story, and
resurrect a forgotten piece
of our printed past.
s a t e l l i t e m a g a z i n e . c asatellite
Satellite is a biannual
magazine focusing on cities,
culture, and politics.
Each issue features an in-
depth look at a single city,
alongside interviews, art,
and nonfiction. Satellite is
based in Toronto.
(c)2013 Neztovich and Bocam
Layout and design by Michael BaccamCover by Stephen Knezovich