Skip to main content
BonhamsCornette de Saint Cyr
Search
Ended

FOR ALL MANKIND

THE ARTISTIC LEGACY OF EARLY SPACE EXPLORATION: Victor Martin-Malburet Collection
14 – 28 April 2025

Between 1961 and 1972, NASA astronauts, armed with the most advanced cameras of their time, became the first human beings to photograph another world. With Earth rising behind them and the Moon beneath their boots, they captured more than never-before-seen pictures: they created a new visual language, a cosmic perspective that forever redefined humanity's place in the universe.

Back on Earth, NASA's photo labs transformed these moments into silver-gelatin and chromogenic masterworks — hauntingly beautiful, technically groundbreaking. These are not just records of science, but masterpieces of 20th-century art.

The Victor Martin-Malburet Collection, exhibited in museums including the Grand Palais and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, is the most comprehensive private archive of these vintage NASA photographs — featuring both the rare published icons and the unseen gems kept in NASA's vaults for decades.

Now, 449 timeless photographs are available at auction. Each print is a physical witness to humankind's first steps into the cosmos, bearing original NASA stamps, mission watermarks, and the aura of authenticity.

As we return to the Moon and dream of Mars, these works speak louder than ever. They are the first self-portraits of humanity as a spacefaring species — as timeless as cave paintings, as bold as the Renaissance, as visionary as modernism.

For all mankind.

Please note that a full version of the catalogue is available by clicking on the icon "catalogue" on the right.

Online only
Paris, Avenue Hoche
Print Results
How to buy

Auction highlights

[Apollo 11] A MAN ON THE MOON: portrait of Buzz Aldrin with the photographer, LM Eagle and Earth reflected in his gold-plated sun visor Neil Armstrong, 16-24 July 1969[Apollo 11] A MAN ON THE MOON: portrait of Buzz Aldrin with the photographer, LM Eagle and Earth reflected in his gold-plated sun visor Neil Armstrong, 16-24 July 1969. Sold for €28,160 inc. premium
[Apollo 11] THE FOOTPRINT ON THE MOON Buzz Aldrin, July 16-24, 1969[Apollo 11] THE FOOTPRINT ON THE MOON Buzz Aldrin, July 16-24, 1969. Sold for €8,960 inc. premium
[Gemini IV] COVER OF LIFE: the first U.S. space walk by Ed White James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965[Gemini IV] COVER OF LIFE: the first U.S. space walk by Ed White James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965. Sold for €7,040 inc. premium
[Apollo 17] THE FINAL EARTHRISE: a poetic crescent Earth above the Moon's dramatic horizon Ronald Evans, 7-19 December 1972[Apollo 17] THE FINAL EARTHRISE: a poetic crescent Earth above the Moon's dramatic horizon Ronald Evans, 7-19 December 1972. Sold for €3,584 inc. premium
[Apollo 4] THE HISTORIC FIRST LIFTOFF OF THE SATURN V ROCKET: NASA's crucial milestone for the Moon landing NASA, 9 November 1967[Apollo 4] THE HISTORIC FIRST LIFTOFF OF THE SATURN V ROCKET: NASA's crucial milestone for the Moon landing NASA, 9 November 1967. Sold for €3,072 inc. premium

Lot gallery

449 lots available

Load previous
[APOLLO 12] PETE CONRAD EXITING THE LM INTREPID TO WALK ON ANOTHER WORLD: an exceptional view from inside the spacecraft Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE FIRST HUMAN STEPS ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] ALAN BEAN CLIMBING DOWN THE LM INTREPID LADDER TO MAKE HIS FIRST STEP ON THE MOON Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE BURN-OUT TV CAMERA ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE LM INTREPID ABOVE THE MOON PRIOR TO LANDING Richard Gordon, 14–24 November 1969
[Apollo 12] THE LM INTREPID ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] PORTRAIT OF PETE CONRAD WITH THE LM REFLECTED IN HIS GOLD-PLATED VISOR Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] PETE CONRAD DEPLOYING THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC SITE ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969
[Apollo 12] PETE CONRAD HOLDING THE U.S. FLAG ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] PETE CONRAD CAPTURING A LUNAR PANORAMA: west of LM Intrepid on the Ocean of Storms Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] ALAN BEAN SETTING UP THE FIRST NUCLEAR GENERATOR NEAR THE LM INTREPID Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE ACTIVATED OCEAN OF STORMS SCIENTIFIC SITE Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] PANORAMIC SEQUENCE OF PETE CONRAD AND THE LM INTREPID ON THE RIM OF SURVEYOR CRATER (four photographs) Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] BLUE GLOW AROUND ALAN BEAN STRIDING ACROSS THE OCEAN OF STORMS Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] PETE CONRAD DEPLOYING SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969
[Apollo 12] ALAN BEAN UNPACKING EQUIPMENT FROM THE LM INTREPID Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] COVER OF LIFE: Alan Bean shines with a blue halo at the Ocean of Storms scientific site Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] LM THRUSTER AND THE OCEAN OF STORMS HORIZON: seen from the LM pilot window between EVAs Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, post EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH OF TWO HUMAN SHADOWS ON THE MOON Pete Conrad, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 1
[Apollo 12] THE FIRST ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT VISITED BY HUMANS ON ANOTHER WORLD: Surveyor III on the Ocean of Storms Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 2
[Apollo 12] PORTRAIT OF ALAN BEAN WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER REFLECTED IN HIS VISOR NEAR SHARP CRATER Pete Conrad, 14–24 November 1969, EVA 2
[Apollo 12] THE ROBOTIC FOOTPRINT ON THE MOON: left by Surveyor III on the Ocean of Storms Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 2
[Apollo 12] "TOURIST" PHOTOGRAPH OF ALAN BEAN NEAR HALO CRATER: "Look over here at me and smile!" Pete Conrad, 14–24 November 1969, EVA 2
[Apollo 12] FIRST HUMAN-ROBOT REUNION ON ANOTHER WORLD: Pete Conrad examines Surveyor III on the Ocean of Storms Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969, EVA 2
[Apollo 12] THE FIRST SPACE SUN ECLIPSE WITNESSED BY HUMANS Alan Bean, Pete Conrad or Richard Gordon, 14-24 November 1969
[Apollo 12] PETE CONRAD HOLDS THE FLAG (large format) Alan Bean, 14-24 November 1969
[Apollo 12] CM YANKEE CLIPPER SAFELY BACK ON EARTH AFTER HUMANITY'S SECOND MISSION TO ANOTHER WORLD NASA, 24 November 1969
[Apollo 13] THE SCRUBBED ORIGINAL APOLLO 13 CREW: replaced one day before launch due to Ken Mattingly's exposure to measles NASA, February 1970
[Apollo 13] THE ILL-FATED LAUNCH OF THE MOST PERILOUS SPACE MISSION EXPERIENCED BY HUMANS NASA, 11 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE CREW DEPARTS FOR THE MOON: a hazardous journey into the unknown NASA, 11 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE ICONIC PORTRAIT OF APOLLO 13'S LAST-MINUTE CREW: James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise NASA, 10 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE OFFICIAL EMBLEM OF APOLLO 13: a symbol of perseverance and ingenuity born from the epic mission NASA, December 1969
[Apollo 13] EXTRAORDINARY VIEW OF EARTH: captured on the way to the Moon before disaster struck Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, or James Lovell, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] "HOUSTON, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM": the damaged Service Module in the aftermath of disaster Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, or James Lovell, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE HAUNTING LUNAR SURFACE LOOMS BELOW AS THE CRIPPLED SPACECRAFT SLINGSHOTS AROUND THE MOON Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] LOST MOON IN DARKNESS: seen from the spacecraft struggling to return to Earth Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11–17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] STRIKING NEARLY FULL MOON AS THE PERILOUS JOURNEY BACK TO EARTH BEGINS Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11–17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] EARTH IN DARKNESS: seen from the stricken spacecraft during the perilous homeward journey J. Lovell, J. Swigert or F. Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE DRAMATIC HIDDEN FACE OF THE MOON: seen from the crippled spacecraft during its tense slingshot manoeuvre Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] CRIPPLED SPACECRAFT AND LOST MOON FROM DEEP SPACE Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE ABANDONED LIFEBOAT LM AQUARIUS BEFORE EARTH RE-ENTRY Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] JACK SWIGERT AND JAMES LOVELL BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL: a critical last-minute fix in LM Aquarius Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] STUNNING CRESCENT EARTH: framed in the window of approaching lifeboat LM Aquarius Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] CRITICAL UNDOCKING OF LM AQUARIUS FROM CSM ODYSSEY WITH EARTH REFLECTED IN THE LM WINDOW Jack Swigert or Fred Haise, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] CELEBRATIONS AT MISSION CONTROL AFTER THE ASTRONAUTS' SAFE RETURN NASA, 17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE MIRACULOUS RETURN OF CM ODYSSEY: parachuting safely through the clouds after a harrowing mission NASA, 17 April 1970
[Apollo 13] THE APOLLO 13 HEROES SAFELY BACK ON EARTH AFTER THEIR HARROWING ODYSSEY THROUGH THE UNKNOWN NASA, 11-17 April 1970
[Apollo 14] THE APOLLO 14 CREW: NASA returns to the Moon after the perils of Apollo 13 NASA, December 1970
Load moreJump to gallery filters

News and stories

News
Read News

To The Moon And Back: The Martin-Malburet Collection achieves Astronomical Results at Bonhams Paris

Play
Read Story

Bonhams Magazine | Moon shot

News
Read News

For All Mankind Nasa's Photographic Treasure: The Martin-Malburet Collection offered at Bonhams Paris

Additional information