The first color photograph of the full Planet Earth, November 10, 1967
ATS III
Important information about this lot
Price Realised GBP 2,750
Estimate
GBP 4,000 - GBP 6,000
Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, any applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see the Conditions of Sale for full details.
Closed: 19 Nov 2020
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The first color photograph of the full Planet Earth, November 10, 1967
The historic and long-awaited first color photograph of the full disc of our Home Planet which could be described as mankind’s first self-portrait.
After the roaring success of the satellite ATS I which transmitted the first B&W detailed photographs of the whole Earth with its “spin-scan cloud camera,” Dr. Verner Suomi developed a color camera for ATS 3, launched in November 1967 and sent into an equatorial geostationary orbit (22,236 miles above the Earth) which was to take one of the most iconic photographs in the history of space exploration. This unprecedented photograph showed North and South America, part of Africa and Europe, as well as the southern part of the Greenland ice cap, and Antarctica covered with clouds.
The original NASA caption for the photograph was uncharacteristically poetic: “The photo shows the entire disk of the Earth, a cloud-covered globe in the blackness of space.”
The photograph was to become a symbol of the counterculture movement as the cover illustration of the 1968 Whole Earth Catalog.
Twenty-four Apollo astronauts from 1968 to 1972 were the only men to witness their planet as a globe in space and Apollo 17 the only crew to photograph such a fully illuminated view of the Earth.
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Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
Overall in very good condition with wear commensurate with age and use.
Please note that photographs in this sale are drawn from a variety of sources and include photographs used to prepare press articles. Condition will vary from lot to lot but some photographs may display signs of further handling including, but not limited to:
Nicks to edges; fading or yellowing; slight warping and creasing; light scruffs or scratches; small tears to margins; handwritten annotations in pencil or ink; captions affixed to verso; staining to verso; affixed labels or stickers; occasional hand retouching to press photographs, and cropped margins.
Most of these will be discernible from the catalogue images.
The mosaic panoramas are composed of multiple photographs attached together using adhesive. These may be trimmed to allow for correct registration of successive images within the panorama.
The department would be delighted to be in touch with you for advice on how to display or store photos. Please contact us for further images or comments on condition.
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Lot 182Sale 20142
ATS IIIThe first color photograph of the full Planet Earth, November 10, 1967Estimate: GBP 4,000 - 6,000
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