Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
In 1947, alien enthusiast George Van Tassel moved to the Mojave Desert of California, USA, to live in a subterranean home under a giant boulder. There, he set up a a restaurant, airstrip, and extra-terrestrial research center, nicknamed 'the Integratron'.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
The giant rock, named Giant Rock, was reputedly a sacred site for local Native Americans, and was previously the home of another eccentric, Frank Critzer. It was the perfect place for Van Tassel to gather fellow space-travellers to reveal the secrets of the universe…
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
One night in 1952, Van Tassel was supposedly woken by alien from the planet Venus, and invited on board a space ship. He was then telepathically given a technique for rejuvenating the human body. He decided to spread this secret knowledge.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
From 1953 to his death in 1978, Van Tassel held the annual Giant Rock Spacecraft Convention, which became the must-visit event for international travellers seeking something beyond our world. In 1957, the renowned photographer Ralph Crane visited the convention for LIFE magazine.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
By 1953, the world had plunged into the Cold War. The development of atomic weapons meant that the next war would be one of total annihilation. In this feverish atmosphere, people from all walks of life were ready to believe anything.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Crane captured the 1957 event with the keen eye of a reportage photographer. His images show the variety of devoted attendees, representing the breadth of society, that travelled to this desert gathering seeking out hope in the stars.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
At its height in the late 1950s, the convention attracted over 10,000 visitors. For anyone who attended, there was overwhelming evidence of extraterrestrial life in the form of photographs, written testimony, rumours, and secret documents…
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Famous contactees and UFO witnesses gave lectures on their experiences. Some even came equipped for a close encounter…
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
For others, it was a social event that reinforced the bonds in the burgeoning, loose community. They found comfort in sharing space with others who had similar thoughts and experiences.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Like any convention, a devoted audience offered a great opportunity to sell merchandise. Pamphlets, songs, pin badges, and t shirts were all available. Purchasing these would allow people to literally 'buy into' the community.
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
Flying Saucer Convention (1957) by Ralph CraneLIFE Photo Collection
In the end, the contactees, ufologists, seekers, and believers may not have found aliens or the secret to rejuvenation, but in the middle of the desert, under the night sky, in a warring world, they did find each other.
