Cover: Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour

This issue’s cover from the British Library’s online collection is an illustration for a novel called Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour (The story of a visit to the planet Mars.) by Charles Dixon. It was published by Bliss, Sands & Co in 1895. The artist is Arthur Layard.

I note that 1500 mph is not a great speed for a spacecraft, though obviously far in excess of anything achieved on Earth in the 19th Century. At that speed it would take over 2.5 years to reach Mars, at closest approach.

As usual, an unadulterated version of the image is available below.