Dover’s space connection coming to the library
Some of the most preliminary prototypes of prototypes will soon be on display at the Dover Public Library, thanks to a partnership with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) to place some of the state’s historic collections on display.
A series of artifacts held by HCA’s Historic Collections that show the earliest iterations of space gear precursors created by Delaware workers at the International Latex Corporation (ILC) and DuPont Company will be on display in cases on the library’s first floor starting in March.
“The library’s mission is to build better community in Dover, and this display is a great opportunity to combine our resources in a way that benefits everyone,” said Dover Public Library Director Brian Sylvester. “The new display space on the first floor of the library will complement the art displays on the second floor and give our community an opportunity to better understand our shared history.”
Some of the items include a cap that served as one of the earliest versions of a cap that would have fit inside a space helmet — except it’s made from 1970s plaid fabric, likely used to better understand the shapes and challenges that would come in later versions that would one day be used in space. There’s also a set of gloves that look more like ones used around the house instead of by astronauts, and even a display that shows viewers all the different layers of material that would have been needed to create spacesuits in the 1960s and ‘70s.
“They give you the very earliest ideas of what these materials and space suits woulda looked like,” explained HCA’s Collections Manager Kira Lyle. “For materials like this, that are rich with Delaware history but don’t fit necessarily at any of HCA’s historic sites or museums, it’s great to partner with other organizations like the Dover Public Library to share this history. It’s a very serendipitous opportunity.”
To learn more about the Dover Public Library, including its hours, go to dover.lib.de.us.
To learn more about Delaware’s space program connection, check out this explainer from 2022.