LIFE

Magazine Overview

Title: LIFE
Issue: Vol. 21, No. 3 (Page 14)
Date: July 21, 1947
Publisher: Time Inc.
Country: USA
Price: $0.15
Language: English

Main Cover Story: A Rash of Flying Disks Breaks Out Over the U.S.

The cover of this issue of LIFE magazine, dated July 21, 1947, is dominated by the headline "SPEAKING OF PICTURES... A RASH OF FLYING DISKS BREAKS OUT OVER THE U.S." The cover itself features a collage of images related to the phenomenon: a man holding a buzz saw-blade disk with attached wires, an airline pilot speaking, a formation of disks spelling out "NUTS" in a trick photograph, and a crash-landed aluminum disk with fake jet-propulsion units.

The lead article details the sudden surge of flying disk sightings across the United States starting in late June 1947. It begins with the pivotal sighting by pilot Kenneth Arnold of Boise, Idaho, on June 25, who reported seeing nine saucer-like objects flying in formation at an estimated 1,200 mph between Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams in Washington state. This event is credited with triggering a wave of similar reports across more than ten states and Canada within the following ten days.

The article recounts several specific sightings:

• Captain E. J. Smith of United Airlines reported encountering five disks near Boise on the Fourth of July and blinking his lights at them.
• In Texas, farmer Victor Wenmoth witnessed three large, black-bellied disks hovering about 300 feet overhead.
• A Chicago housewife described an airborne object "about the size of a saucer, with legs," which she felt was about to swoop down on her.
• In Seattle, Washington, J. William Sheets stated that such objects "come through our yard all the time."
• Near Spokane, Washington, Mrs. Walter Johnson saw "eight flying washtubs, each about the size of a five-room house."

By July 10, flying disks had been reported in 43 states and the District of Columbia. However, no saucers reportedly paused long enough to be photographed.

Explanations and Interpretations

The article then delves into the various explanations offered for these sightings:

• Harvard University's Anthropologist Ernest A. Hooton suggested they were "misplaced halos searching for all the people who were killed over the Fourth of July."
• Mr. L. M. Wendorf in Chicago proposed they were hallucinations that would disappear if U.S. citizens followed a correct diet, recommending 50 dandelion blooms daily.
• Ole J. Sneide of San Francisco theorized they were space ships sent by "The Great Master," who left Earth after the Roman Empire and now resides on the dark side of the moon.
• Scientists generally pointed to scintillating scotomy (spots before the eyes) or red corpuscles passing across the retinas.
• Other suggested explanations included weather balloons, airplanes, clouds, reflections, or even American or Russian secret weapons.

To provide a definitive, albeit whimsical, explanation, LIFE commissioned Artist Boris Artzybasheff, known for his work on World War II's gremlins. Artzybasheff, drawing on his experience with "pixyish interplanetary phenomena," suggested that the flying disks were actually crockery (saucers, teapots, dinner plates) being "shelled" into the universe by residents of the planet Neptune, who had achieved a civilization far more advanced than Earth's. The accompanying illustration depicts a fantastical Neptunian machine launching these objects.

Historical Context: Other Times, Other Beasts

Following the main article, the "SPEAKING OF PICTURES CONTINUED" section presents historical accounts of unusual aerial or monstrous sightings, suggesting a recurring human tendency to interpret strange phenomena:

• Skeletons in the Sky (17th Century): Frightened peasants reported seeing "skeletons," people, angels, and grape arbors among the stars, interpreted as prophecies of hard times.
• Man-Bats on the Moon (1835): Richard Locke's hoax in the New York Sun described "man-bats" seen on the moon, which thousands of gullible readers believed.
• The Loch Ness Monster (1930s): The article notes the appearance of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland during the 1930s, coinciding with a decline in tourism, suggesting its "appearance" stimulated business before it "submerged" when a photographer arrived.

Advertisements

The issue also contains advertisements, notably for Polident denture cleanser and Poli-Grip denture adhesive, promoting oral hygiene and secure fitting of false teeth.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue is the widespread public fascination and confusion surrounding the "flying disk" phenomenon in the summer of 1947. LIFE magazine adopts a journalistic approach by reporting numerous sightings and then exploring a wide range of explanations, from the scientific to the speculative and the humorous. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting a significant cultural event while also engaging with the public's imagination through creative interpretations, as exemplified by the Boris Artzybasheff illustration. The inclusion of historical "sightings" suggests that such unexplained phenomena are not entirely new and have often been interpreted through the lens of contemporary beliefs and anxieties.