Name: THE FIRST COLOR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE SURFACE OF MARS, THE RED PLANET, 20 JULY 1976
Brand: VIKING 1
Price: 17000.00 GBP
Availability: SoldOut

Vintage chromogenic print on resin coated Kodak paper, “This paper manufactured by Kodak” watermarks on the verso and NASA JPL caption affixed.
8 x 10in. (20.3 x 25.4cm.)

From the collection of Mike Acs

Specified lots are being stored at Crozier Park Royal (details below) or will be removed from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London, SW1Y 6QT by 5.00pm on the day of the sale. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. If the lot has been transferred to Crozier Park Royal, it will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day following the sale. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s, 8 King Street, it will be available for collection on any working day (not weekends) from 9.00am to 5.00pm
This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

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Brought to you by

James HyslopHead of Department, Science & Natural History

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

jhyslop@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7752 3205

Lot Essay

[NASA caption]
First color picture taken on the surface of Mars today by the Viking 1 Lander shows that the Martian soil consists mainly of reddish fine-grained material. However, small patches of black or blue-black soil are found deposited around many of the foreground rocks. Most of the rocks also are coated with a reddish stain except where the rock’s surface has been freshly fractured or abraded. There is a group of black or blue-black rock[s] near the horizon which appear free of the reddish stain. They may be relatively young volcanic rocks or older volcanic rocks very recently excavated from the subsurface. The horizon is about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from Viking 1’s camera. The scene, covering about 67° from left to right, was scanned three times, each time with a different color filter. The color was reconstructed with computer processing.