403 a
Pete Conrad or Alan Bean

The lunar horizon over Crater Copernicus at sunrise

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, orbit 12, 106:32:02 GET

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 AS12-47-6876]

403 b
Taken by the 16mm Maurer camera inside the Command Module Yankee Clipper

The LM Intrepid in lunar orbit after separation from Yankee Clipper

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, orbit 13

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA HQ caption numbered “69-HC-1352” and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s 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 it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

Lot Essay

403 a
A high-oblique wide-angle view looking northeast taken from the LM “Intrepid” with the 60mm lens while it was still docked with the CSM “Yankee Clipper” prior to landing.

The 48-km Crater Reinhold is in the dark in the foreground with the 26-km Reinhold B beyond it; near the horizon in full view is the large Crater Copernicus, measuring 93 km from rim to rim. The Carpathian Mountain Range is visible on the horizon.
The stark lunar relief is accented by the low Sun elevation angle.

LITERATURE: Thomas, p.226; NASA SP-235, p.17 (variant).

106:32:02 Conrad: Boy, oh boy, Houston. Do we have a fantastic view of Copernicus. [...]
106:32:29 Conrad: Hey, Dick. I don’t know if you can see it, but if you can, you ought to take a look at Copernicus there. That is really something else. And we owe him an 06, 20, whenever he gets stopped.
106:32:51 Gordon: I’m just looking at Copernicus. Houston, let me know when you got the data.
106:32:58 Conrad: Isn’t that something?
106:32:59 Carr (Mission Control): Roger, Clipper.
106:33:00 Bean: Sure is. [...]
106:33:42 Gordon: Pretty nice down here, Pete.
106:33:46 Conrad: I hope so.
106:33:56 Conrad: Boy, I tell you; I can’t get over Copernicus. Houston, that - there’s nothing on any other part of the Moon that we’ve seen since we’ve been here that even looks like that.

403 b
This famous image of the LM in lunar orbit is a still of a 16mm sequence recorded by Richard Gordon after undocking from the Command Module Yankee Clipper.

“I tell you what, I envied them. I wish to hell I could have gone with them, but there was no way for that to happen. I think Pete and Al kind of felt the same way,” said later Richard Gordon (Chaikin, Voices, p.50).