Bubblegum wrappers and swaps, 'Weekend in Space' series

Children have liked chewing gum for over a century, and 'swaps' from chewing gum packets such as these provided hours of entertainment and fierce competition between collectors.

These swaps are called 'Space Encyclopaedia'. Like adults, children were fascinated with space exploration and adventures in the 1950s. They grew up in an exciting period – the first rocket was launched into the upper atmosphere from Florida in 1950, and the first living being inside a man-made object orbited the earth in 1957 (from Russia).