Alfred Worden

Crescent Earth rising beyond the Moon’s barren horizon

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, orbit 70

Vintage chromogenic print on resin coated Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso [NASA AS15-97-13268]

20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

Chaikin, Voices p.168; Schick and Van Haaften, p.109; Light, plate 107.

Copenhagen, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, The Moon: From Inner Worlds to Outer Space, September 2018-January 2019 and February-May 2019, exhibition catalogue, p. 99, no. 210, illustrated.

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Lot Essay

As the spacecraft was in its 70th revolution rounding the Moon’s far side approaching Crater Humboldt (whose southwestern inner rim is visible on the left horizon), Alfred Worden captured with the 250mm telephoto lens this magnificent sight of “a gleaming white sliver of Earth rising above the lunar horizon” (National Geographic, February 1972, p. 257).

One of the most profound images of the Apollo program, Worden chose it as the cover of his book of poetry, Hello Earth, Greetings From Endeavour.

“These photographs are a permanent reminder that we’re a little part of the universe. We’re not
the center of anything.”
Alfred Worden (Schick and Van Haaften, p. 109)