159 a
James Lovell or Buzz Aldrin

The Earth horizon over the southern United States

Gemini XII, November 11-15, 1966, orbit 44, 070:18:00 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-66-62782” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

159 b
Taken by a 16mm Maurer camera held by James Lovell

Buzz Aldrin in weightlessness at the pilot station of the spacecraft

Gemini XII, November 11-15, 1966

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA MSC caption and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-66-63539” in red in top margin

159 c
Andrew Patnesky

Congratulations at Mission Control

Gemini XII, November 15, 1966

Three vintage chromogenic prints on fiber-based Kodak paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in) and with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-66-64885, S-66-64879 and S-66-64863” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin, each with three filing holes in top margin

159 d
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Splashdown

Gemini XII, November 15, 1966

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA HQ caption numbered “66- H-1427” on the verso

159 e
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

President Johnson honoring Gemini XII astronauts James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin

October 1967

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA HQ caption numbered “67- H-1461” on the verso
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

159 a
Texas-New Mexico-Arizona, Mexico (Sonora-Chihuahua) Rio Grande Source to Big Bend, White Sands, photographed from space with the Hasselblad Super Wide camera and its 38mm lens looking north.

070:14:10 Capcom (Mission Control): Gemini XII, Houston standing by California.
070:14:16 Lovell: Roger. We completed D-10, Mode B. Before we go on, we’re pitching down now slowly, to get a position for some S-5/S-6 photos of the States.
070:14:28 Capcom: Roger. And during your Texas pass we’d like to work some remote through one of the ARI aircraft, and so I’ll give you a little chatter and if you talk back over Texas, we’d appreciate it.
070:14:42 Lovell: Okay. Fine.
070:14:56 Capcom: Also, on your next pass across the States, we’ve got a little HF music for you to lighten the load.
070:15:05 Lovell: Ah: You’re so sweet to us, Babe!
070:15:07 Capcom: I always take care of my pals.
070:20:05 Capcom: Gemini XII, Houston. We’re coming up for the Texas pass. How’s the weather look?
070:20:12 Lovell: Pretty good.
070:20:15 Capcom: Say again?
070:20:16 Lovell: It looks - ... we just passed Yuma, White Sands area, ... seems very clear.

159 b
An extremely rare in-flight portrait of the second man on the Moon.

“The Gemini science experiments [...] were designed to take advantage of man’s presence in space. The astronauts acted as the sensors, manipulators, and operators of the equipment, and exercised judgment based on their understanding of the objectives. Their interest, imagination, and ingenuity contributed greatly to the success of the program.”
NASA associate administrator John Naugle (NASA SP-171, preface)

159 c
Andrew Patnesky was NASA’s photographer in Mission Control at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.

Many NASA officials, flight directors and engineers including Robert Gilruth, George Low, James Elms, Charles Mathews and Christopher Kraft can be seen celebrating the successful mission with astronauts John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Eugene Cernan, Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad.

159 d
The last spaceflight of NASA Gemini’s Program was concluded as the Gemini XII spacecraft, with astronaut James Lovell, Command Pilot, and Buzz Aldrin, Pilot, aboard, touched down in the Atlantic Ocean 2.5 nautical miles from the prime recovery ship, USS Wasp, 600 miles east of Cape Kennedy, following their flawless automatic reentry. Lovell and Aldrin performed a number of scientific and technological experiments, and Aldrin performed three EVAs. Gemini XII splashed down at 2:21 p.m. (EST), Nov. 15, 1966, to conclude a four-day mission in space.

159 e
President Johnson presented the Harmon International medal, one of aviation’s highest honors, to the two astronauts and to XB-70 veteran test-pilot Alvin White at the White House.

Gemini XII was the last mission of the Gemini series. There were no manned space flights by Americans in 1967. The launching pad fire, in which three Apollo 1 astronauts perished on January 27, 1967, resulted in major changes in plans and equipment and the year was marked by further tests preparatory to a manned flight to the Moon.