Reviews: Limited Visibility; November 2003; Scientific American Magazine; by Phil Scott; 2 Page(s)

Shortly after the Mercury 7 astronauts appeared on the September 14, 1959, cover of Life, the magazine featured a cover story about the women of the space program. Their photo cut the exact same pose. They were the astronauts' wives, whom Life always depicted as demure ladies fully behind their husbands while the men trained to become the first Americans in space.

Male astronauts. That's the way most Americans thought it should be. In those days a woman couldn't take out a bank loan unless her husband co-signed. In those days a woman had trouble getting a job-unless she wanted to be a secretary.