Rare Type 1 Print of Neil Armstrong on the Moon at Auction
A rare type 1 vintage color glossy photograph of Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface is being auctioned by RR Auctions. The 10x8 inch print, ID AS11-40-5886, shows Armstrong packing a lunar sample into a rockbox at the MESA, with the US flag, Solar Wind Collector, and a strut of the Lunar Module Eagle visible. It is the only known Hasselblad shot of Armstrong on the moon, as he was typically behind the camera. The image was identified in 1987 from Buzz Aldrin's panoramic series. Unreleased by NASA in 1969, it remained unpublished for decades. Bidding exceeded $15,000 with less than seven hours remaining on April 23.
Key facts
- The photo is a type 1 vintage color glossy 10x8 red-numbered NASA print (AS11-40-5886).
- It shows Neil Armstrong packing a lunar sample into a rockbox at the MESA.
- The image includes the US flag, Solar Wind Collector, and a strut of the Lunar Module Eagle.
- It is the only known Hasselblad photograph of Armstrong on the lunar surface.
- Armstrong was typically behind the camera during the Apollo 11 moonwalk.
- The photo was identified in 1987 from Buzz Aldrin's panoramic series.
- It was not released by NASA's Public Affairs Office in 1969 and remained unpublished for decades.
- The auction began March 27 and ends April 23, with bidding over $15,000.
Entities
Artists
- Neil Armstrong
- Buzz Aldrin
Institutions
- RR Auctions
- NASA
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Westinghouse
Locations
- Moon
- Double Crater
- United States