The Beauty of Space: Vintage NASA Photos
Description:
Neil Armstrong (American, 1930-2012)
Buzz Aldrin in front of Tranquility Base, Apollo 11, July 1969. Stamped '65840-69' on the verso. Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper with 'A Kodak Paper' watermark on the verso, image size 9 1/2 x 7 5/8 in. (24.0 x 19.2 cm),unmatted.
Condition: Subtle scratches l.l.
N.B. In one of the rare 'tourist' moments on the Moon, Armstrong called out to Aldrin to take his portrait: 'There you go. Good work; good show. Hey, whoa; stop, stop! Back up' (Apollo 11 air-to-ground transmission). Aldrin is standing next to the seismometer; the Laser Ranging Retroreflector is behind him. The TV camera and the LM Eagle are in the background. Armstrong took this photograph after the astronauts had deployed the lunar-science station near the landing site, also called the EASEP (Early Apollo Surface Experiments Package) site. "There were a lot of things to do, and we had a hard time getting them finished. We had very little trouble, much less trouble than expected, on the surface. It was a pleasant operation. Temperatures weren't high. They were very comfortable. The little EMU, the combination of spacesuit and backpack that sustained our life on the surface, operated magnificently. The primary difficulty was just far too little time to do the variety of things we would have liked. We had the problem of the five-year-old boy in a candy store," remembered Armstrong (NASA SP-350, chapter 11.5). The NASA negative number is AS11-40-5947.
Estimate $500-700
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Keywords
KodakRobin S.R. Starr
Vice President
Director of American & European Works of Art
508-970-3206
Elizabeth Haff
Specialist, American & European Works of Art
Old Masters & 19th Century
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James Leighton
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Fine Photographs
508-970-3206