Sale Overview
View eCatalogues
Tracing the artistic heritage of the Apollo Missions and Golden Age of space exploration, the Victor Martin-Malburet collection comprises over 2,400 photographs arranged chronologically across 700 lots. Through their cameras the astronauts, turned artists, were able to convey to humanity the beauty and profundity of their experiences, forever changing the way we see our place in the Universe.
Many of the montaged panoramas give us a sense of what it felt to stand on another planetary body and admire the stark lonely beauty of the view, other photographs are unreleased rarities that may only be known in a handful of extant prints. Meticulous research including radio snippets from the missions and contemporary press coverage deepens the story of the Golden Age of space exploration, as told by both the astronauts and billions of observers on Earth. The accompanying pdf catalogue establishes the connection between the photographs and mission transcripts.
Highlights from the collection were exhibited in 2019 at: the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen; Grand Palais, Paris; and Kunsthaus, Zurich. For Victor the juxtaposition of these photographs alongside masterpieces from antiquity through to Rothko was the zenith of his vision, placing them within the grand narrative of human ingenuity and creativity. He is delighted to offer them at auction for others to now add to their collections.
Please refer to our Condition of Sale for the terms of buying at Christie’s.
Christmas / Holiday Shipping Notice
To be able to ship your property in advance of the holidays, payment for property and/or shipping must be received by on Wednesday, 2 December for any European road shuttles or international airfreight shipments and Friday, 11 December for any UK road shuttles and domestic or international courier shipments. Please note that Christie’s is not responsible for delays in international shipments due to customs and export licenses.