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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.

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Paris, Avenue Hoche
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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

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[Apollo 14] THE GIANT SATURN V MOON ROCKET ROLLING OUT TO PAD 39A BEFORE LAUNCH NASA, 9 November 1970
[Apollo 14] THE FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE ALAN SHEPARD TAKING HIS FIRST STEPS ON THE MOON AT FRA MAURO: captured from the LM pilot window Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] CSM KITTY HAWK IN LONE LUNAR ORBIT: seen from LM Antares before the historic landing Edgar Mitchell or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971
[Apollo 14] THE SATURN V THIRD STAGE DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP TRANSLUNAR SPACE Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell, or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971
[Apollo 14] ALAN SHEPARD PLANTING THE U.S. FLAG AT FRA MAURO BASE Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] THE LM ANTARES REFLECTING A 'JEWEL-LIKE' CIRCULAR FLARE Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] EDGAR MITCHELL RETURNING TO THE LM ANTARES AFTER COMPLETING SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] FRA MAURO SCIENTIFIC SITE Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] THE GLEAMING PATH LEADING TO THE SUNLIT LM ANTARES Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] STRIKING CLOSE-UP OF ALAN SHEPARD AT FRA MAURO SCIENTIFIC SITE: captured by the 16mm camera on the MET NASA, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] EDGAR MITCHELL OPERATING THE LIVE COLOUR TV CAMERA ON THE LUNAR SURFACE Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 14] ASTRONAUT'S SHADOW AT THE FARTHEST LUNAR TRAVERSE BY FOOT IN HISTORY, STATION C1 Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[APOLLO 14] EDGAR MITCHELL LOST ON THE MOON Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] THE BOULDER FIELD AT STATION C': where the crew abandoned their quest for Cone Crater Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] EDGAR MITCHELL RETURNING TO LM ANTARES WITH THE MET AFTER THE LONGEST TREK ON THE MOON, STATION F Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] THE TINY LM ANTARES IN THE VAST LUNAR WILDERNESS: seen from the farthest lunar traverse by foot in history, station C1 Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] COVER OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Alan Shepard with the MET during the excursion to Cone Crater Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] 'TURTLE ROCK' AT STATION H: final site of the first long-range exploration of the Moon Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[APOLLO 14] ALAN SHEPARD RETURNS TO THE LM ANTARES Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 14] THE FIRST IMAGE OF LIFTOFF FROM THE MOON: captured from the LM window NASA, 31 January - 9 February 1971
[Apollo 15] THE AWE-INSPIRING LAUNCH OF THE FIRST GREAT VOYAGE OF LUNAR EXPLORATION NASA, 26 July 1971
[Apollo 15] DOCKING OF LM FALCON WITH SPACE FIREFLIES EN ROUTE TO THE MOON James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] THE 'BLACK MARBLE': rare UV photograph of Planet Earth during translunar coast Alfred Worden, David Scott or James Irwin, 26 July – 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] THE SOLAR CORONA FROM LUNAR ORBIT: an exceptional view captured from CSM Endeavour Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] PORTRAIT OF JAMES IRWIN AND THE LUNAR ROVER IN FRONT OF MOUNT HADLEY David Scott, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 15] CRATER HUMBOLDT FROM LUNAR ORBIT Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT WITH THE TELEPHOTO HASSELBLAD CAMERA BESIDE THE LUNAR ROVER AT STATION 10 James Irwin, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 3
[Apollo 15] SPECTACULAR VIEW OF THE MOON THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE ORBITING SPACECRAFT James Irwin, David Scott or Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] THE BREATHTAKING HADLEY CANYON: high-resolution lunar surface panorama from station 10 David Scott, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 3
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT, THE ROVER AND THE AWE-INSPIRING HADLEY CANYON, STATION 2 James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 15] FIRST TELEPHOTO IMAGES ON THE MOON: Mount Hadley from station 6 (diptych) James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 15] THE GOLF POSE: James Irwin digging a trench at the Hadley scientific site David Scott, 26 July - 7 August, 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS IN FRONT OF THE HADLEY-APENNINE MOUNTAINS AT STATION 6 James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August, 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 15] DUNE CRATER IN FRONT OF MOUNT HADLEY AT STATION 4 James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 15] HADLEY'S RESEARCH OUTPOST (diptych) James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 2 and 3
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT AT THE LUNAR ROVER IN FRONT OF HADLEY CANYON AND MOUNT HADLEY DELTA, STATION 9A James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August, 1971, EVA 3
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT SALUTING THE FLAG AT HADLEY BASE James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 3
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT LEANING IN ONE-SIXTH GRAVITY, SETTING UP EXPERIMENTS AT HADLEY James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 2
[Apollo 15] DAVID SCOTT EXAMINING A BOULDER AT STATION 2 AFTER THE FIRST EXCURSION WITH THE LUNAR ROVER James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 15] HADLEY BASE NESTLED AT THE FOOT OF THE TOWERING APENNINE MOUNTAIN RANGE James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August, 1971, EVA 3
[Apollo 15] JAMES IRWIN, THE FIRST LUNAR ROVER, AND THE LM FALCON AT HADLEY BASE David Scott, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 1
[Apollo 15] THE CSM ENDEAVOUR WITH EXPOSED SIM BAY ABOVE THE SEA OF FERTILITY James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] SPECTACULAR LUNAR HORIZON ABOVE THE SEA OF RAINS: pioneering high-resolution metric camera view Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] THE ABSTRACT BEAUTY OF THE MOON: orbital views from lunar orbit (4 photos) James Irwin, David Scott or Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] ALFRED WORDEN PERFORMING THE HISTORIC FIRST DEEP SPACE EVA ON THE JOURNEY BACK TO EARTH James Irwin, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] "DOUBLE EARTHRISE": an extraordinary UV photograph of the Earth rising over the Moon Alfred Worden, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] EXTRAORDINARY VIEW OF EARTH: a slender, ethereal crescent almost entirely in shadow Alfred Worden, James Irwin or David Scott, 26 July - 7 August 1971
[Apollo 15] THE CREW RETURNS TO EARTH AFTER THE FIRST GREAT VOYAGE OF EXPLORATION TO ANOTHER WORLD NASA, 7 August, 1971
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