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The Vintage NASA Photo Collection of Philip Kulpa

[APOLLO 11] THE FIRST US FLAG TO BE DEPLOYED ON THE LUNAR SURFACE. VINTAGE NASA "RED NUMBER" PHOTOGRAPH, 20 JULY 1969.

Lot Closed

December 3, 06:42 PM GMT

Estimate

1,200 - 1,800 USD

Lot Details

Description

The Vintage NASA Photo Collection of Philip Kulpa

[APOLLO 11] 

THE FIRST US FLAG TO BE DEPLOYED ON THE LUNAR SURFACE. 20 JULY 1969.


Vintage NASA “Red Number” chromogenic color photograph, 10 by 8 inches, “A Kodak Paper” watermark to verso. NASA image ID “NASA AS11-37-5545” printed in upper left margin in red; minor toning.


The present photograph, taken from inside the LM, is dominated by the United States flag, and the boot prints of Armstrong and Aldrin. The camera that was used to televise the Apollo 11 EVA is just visible in the background. Aldrin once commented: "Of all the jobs I had to do on the Moon the one I wanted to go the smoothest was the flag raising." Despite their best efforts, Armstrong and Aldrin struggled with the telescoping rod, and feared it might fall in front of millions of TV viewers. Though it was only planted 5 cementers or so in the ground, it remained standing, and Aldrin was able to give it "a crisp West Point salute".