Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s recent space photograph auction has ended, with Neil Armstrong’s famous portrait of Buzz Aldrin topping the charts, selling for nearly $32,000.
The auction, For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration, comprised 449 vintage space photographs from the esteemed collection of space historian Victor Martin-Malburet. PetaPixel previewed 10 of the auction lots in early March, and at that time, the high-earning portrait from the Apollo 11 mission was expected to sell for between $19,000 and $27,000. The final hammer price, €28,160, is $31,737 at current exchange rates.
Buzz Aldrin’s portrait of Neil Armstrong on the Moon — the only photograph of Armstrong on the Moon — is one of the most iconic portraits of all time. In 2021, PetaPixel featured the work of artist Michael Ranger, who used fancy visual effects work to “unwrap” the reflection seen in Armstrong’s golden visor.
Other highlights from the auction include a 1946 photo of an American-captured German-made V2 rocket entering space — the first U.S. rocket to do so — that sold for €24,320 ($27,404). The image was expected to sell for upwards of €1,500 ($1,690), so the fierce bidding war was a pleasant surprise for the auction house.
While this photo wasn’t previewed in March, some that were also sold for high hammer prices. For example, Williams Anders’ photo of Earthrise captured during Apollo 8 sold for €12,800 ($14,422). The auction paid tribute to Anders, who passed in 2024 at 90.
Another of Anders’ iconic photos, the first human-taken photo of the entire Earth, sold for €9,600 ($10,820). Anders captured the photo four hours and 36 minutes after Apollo 8 launched, showing Earth from approximately 27,000 kilometers (16,777 miles) away.
“NASA’s vintage post-mission prints are artistic artifacts brought back from the unknown — for all mankind. They are now entering the collections of art lovers around the world. Over 25 years, I meticulously unearthed and showcased these visual treasures in museums, which had long been overlooked despite their unparalleled cultural and aesthetic magnitude. I am thrilled that they will now inspire passion and emotion in their new homes,” Victor Martin-Malburet said after the sale.
Overall, 80% of the lots sold, totaling €416,627, or nearly $470,000.
“The Apollo astronauts captured humanity’s greatest dream through their cameras. They stand among the greatest artists of the 20th century. Their photographs became pop culture icons and are in all our minds, evoking a powerful and universal emotional message that transformed our centered point of view as humans from Earth. I want to thank collectors for their bids on these masterpieces of the 20th century, as they continue to fascinate and enrich our imagination,” added Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, the head of the sale.
Image credits: Photographs provided courtesy of Bonhams. Original photographers are credited in the image captions.
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