1960 Sunblest Tea : Inventions & Discoveries

The Inventions & Discoveries card series was released in 1960 by Sunblest Tea. The series was reprinted in 1962 by Coopers Tea of Glasgow North West. Each card measures approximately 1.375 x 2.625 inches. The 50-card collection showcases inventors and scientific discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries. The cards were distributed in two series of 25-cards. A collector album was sold separately for six pence.

 

Wernher von Braun and the V-2 missile are featured on card #47, "Rockets Into Space." The Vergeltungswaffe 2 (Retaliation Weapon 2), officially designated as Aggregat 4 (A-4), was developed under the direction of von Braun at the Peenemünde Army Research Center in Germany. On June 20, 1944, A-4 MW 18014 became the first object launched into space, reaching an apogee of 109 miles (176 km).

The card image is based on a U.S. Army Project Hermes V-2 launched at White Sands Proving Ground. General Electric constructed a total of 67 rockets from captured German V-2 components. Project Hermes conducted V-2 tests from March 15, 1946, to June 30, 1951.