308 a
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Photomontage of the Saturn V rocket and the American flag

Apollo 11, July 16, 1969, 000:01:00 GET

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-69-40634” in red in top margin

308 b
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Vice President Spiro Agnew, NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, NASA officials and flight directors in Launch Control after the successful liftoff

Apollo 11, July 16, 1969

Three vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC captions on the versos

308 c
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Wernher Von Braun, chief architect of the Apollo Saturn project, after the successful launch

Apollo 11, July 16, 1969

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC caption on the verso
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

308 a
“The American flag heralds the flight of Apollo 11, man’s first lunar landing mission. This double exposure was made with a 1000mm lens when the rocket was at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. This image was imposed upon the image of the flag, filmed a day earlier. A band of super cold propellants seems to circle the rocket near its center. The effect is caused by the difference in temperature between the propellants and the atmosphere” (NASA caption).

308 b
Vice President Spiro Agnew (center) and NASA administrator Thomas Paine (first photograph); George Muller, Associate Administrator for Manned Spaceflight (left) and Rocco Petrone, Director of Launch Operations (third photograph, bottom) as well as Samuel Phillips, Director of the Apollo Program (second photograph) expresse satisfaction at the Launch Control Center after the successful launch of Apollo 11.

“When we were about to leave on Apollo 11, [NASA administrator] Thomas Paine flew down to the Cape, had dinner with us, and said, ‘Look, if you guys screw it up, don’t worry about it, come on back, we’ll give the three of you the next shot at another try at the landing.’ Which I thought was kind of unusual for him to say, but it was very nice, and it took a lot of the pressure off us, especially Neil,” said Michael Collins (Chaikin, Voices, p.32).

308 c
“Since the dawn of history man had been chained to this planet. No matter what the species of Homo Sapiens would accomplish, it seemed to be preordained to share the ultimate fate of its earthly abode, extinction. With the flight of Apollo 11 the fateful chain was broken. For man now showed that he could land on other heavenly bodies and that he could live and work there.”
Wernher Von Braun (Thomas, p.179)