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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Bowman Gum Company (fl. 1951) Fight the Red Menace: The Children's Crusade against Communism trading cards; 39. Soviet Rocket Fighter

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09627.39.01 Author/Creator: Bowman Gum Company (fl. 1951) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Trading card Date: 1951 Pagination: 1 collecting card ; 6 x 8 cm. Order a Copy

One trading card from the Red Menace collection, "39. Soviet Rocket Fighter" depicting one Soviet Union rocket fighter, Me-163 flying and another air plane on fire in the background. Reverse side contains propaganda narrative describing the military aircrafts of the "Reds." Text claims that in order to preserve freedom the "free world" must match the military might of the "Reds."

The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was a German-designed rocket-powered fighter aircraft built in 1944. The aircraft was deemed inferior due to faultiness during simulations and combat.

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