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Secrets of The Space Race: Rare NASA Photos Hit The Auction Block

Light Years

The largest sale of NASA photographs in the world ever brings together an astonishing collection of 700 photographs, documenting six decades of space exploration.

Justin Jones

Published Feb. 21 2015 6:45AM EST

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-gal-tease_rhxom0

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-01_bcy4gl — Captured from a V2 Rocket in 1947, a grainy, black-and-white photo became the first image to capture Earth from space. And in the six decades since, countless numbers of similar images have given us a viewpoint we will never experience ourselves. And almost 700 of these rare and vintage images are going on display and up for sale at Bloomsbury London as part of their From The Earth To The Moon auction, representing “the largest sale of NASA photographs in the world ever,” as described by a representative at the auction house to The Daily Beast. The expansive assortment, currently owned by a single collector, is comprised of some of the best moments from the early days of space exploration and is estimated at well over $1 million.

Here, Buzz Aldrin captures the first selfie in space during the Gemini 12 mission in November 1966.

Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-02_uw54ik — Astronaut Eugene Cernan captures Harrison Schmitt with the Earth above the US flag during the Apollo 17 mission on December 1972. "I captured the Earth, the Moon, the man, and the country all in one," Cernan has previously said. "I'm proud of this picture." Richard Underwood belives the photo is "one of the great photos ever to come out of the space program."
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-03_yt7w2i — James McDivitt captured Ed White as he became the first American to walk in space. Here, he is seen over New Mexico during the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-04_zgvkll — This protrait of Eugene Cernan was captured by Harrison Schmitt at the begining of their final moonwalk in December 1972. Earth can be seen reflected in Cernan's visor.

Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-05_yfau9f — The Earth on Jully 11, 1969
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-06_gkdpn6 — Alan Bean holds a container of lunar soil as Pete Conrad, who captured the photo, reflects off of his visor. The two were on the Apollo 12 mission in November 1969.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-07_dafvgi — Walter Schirra took this on-board portrait of astronaut Walter Cunningham during the Apollo 7 mission in October 1968. "That picture seemed to catch all the hard work and tiredness, the real effort, not simply the glamour of spaceflight," Cunningham has said of the photo.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-08_txprg4 — This image comes from Ed White's personal photograph album of the Gemini 4 mission in June 1965.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-09_v040du — David Scott, captured by Russell Schweickart, stands in the hatch of the ship for the Apollo 9 mission in March 1969.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-10_sprngz — After taking mankind's first step on the moon, Neil Armstrong photographs fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin making his first steps during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

galleries/2015/02/21/secrets-of-the-space-race-rare-nasa-photos-hit-the-auction-block/150220-space-auction-11_w6dp9z — William Anders captured an earthrise from the moon's surface during the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions London

Justin Jones

Justin Jones

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