Mark Irwin worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation from 1944 to 1977, later known as Convair. At retirement, he headed the company’s film and video department. His employment with Convair was during one of the most innovative and productive periods of the company’s long history.

Mark Irwin Setting up for Filming

Irwin’s work covers photographs taken during many of Convair’s premier programs, such as the Seadart, the R3Y Tradewind, the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile and space launch vehicle, the POGO and the Tomahawk cruise missile. 

Mark Irwin at Work.

In addition to routine filming projects, Irwin conducted a variety of unusual shoots, such as testing in cold weather (snow) environments at Squaw Valley, CA and Bemidji, MN, and in 1956, at the beginning of the Atlas program, he embarked on a two year assignment at Cape Canaveral, FL.

An illustrative sampling of his photographs follows. A more complete set of his work may be viewed on Flickr here.

Consolidated XC-99 over San Diego

Filming the Convair Sea Dart during Taxi Tests.

Filming the Convair Pogo during testing.

Convair Pogo Filmed in Horizontal Flight.

Transporting the Atlas Missile on Public Highways.

Filming Product Publicity Motion Picture.

Hollywood Actress in Publicity Motion Picture.

Convair Atlas Production Scene.

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