Artist Bill Taub was NASA’s first senior photographer, covering every major NASA event from the beginning of project Mercury to the end of Apollo; nearly every official photograph of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts were taken by Taub, and the wonderful informative captions found on the backs of photos distributed to press were written by him.
Though he was rarely credited by name, Mr. Taub took nearly every official picture of the astronauts who led the nation’s early journeys into space and played a central role in shaping public perception of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s work.
He was often the only photographer with access to training sessions and closed engineering meetings during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, and his images showed the anxiety of those who orchestrated the space program’s first-ever feats.
Charged with documenting NASA’s work, Mr. Taub was often one of the last people to see the astronauts before liftoff, earning the nickname “Two More Taub’’ for his insistence on snapping just a couple more shots.
His photographs appeared in Life, Look, and National Geographic magazines, among others. They captured such iconic moments in American history as John Glenn entering the Friendship 7 capsule
Fletcher said, “His dedicated efforts in photographing NASA's programs and activities have made a significant contribution in bringing NASA’s story to the peoples of the world.”
His photographs of technical facilities such as wind tunnels and scientific experiments have been used around the world in textbooks and for other educational publications in addition to the major newspapers and magazines.
Taub's photographs are a treasure trove of aerospace history and are preserved by NASA, the National Archives, and 20 national and region museums and through publications and auction house around the world.