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Lot 165
[Apollo 8] THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FARSIDE OF THE MOON TAKEN BY HUMANS William Anders, 21-27 December 1968
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €1,024 inc. premium
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[Apollo 8] THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FARSIDE OF THE MOON TAKEN BY HUMANS
William Anders, 21-27 December 1968
Printed 1966.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS8-13-2244].
With NASA caption and "Brown Brothers Stock Photo" credit stamps and label on the reserve (issued by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.).
25.4 x 20.3 cm. (10 x 8 in.)
Historical context
This historic photograph, taken by Anders on Apollo 8's first orbit using B&W film (magazine 13/E), stands as the first successful photograph captured by humans of the Moon's far side. Moments earlier, Anders had attempted to photograph the lunar far side, but those images were severely overexposed due to the unintended use of highly sensitive film (magazine 18/G), rendering them unusable.
This superb image unveiled a landscape hidden from human eyes since the dawn of time, and still unnamed. Reflecting on the moment, Anders recalled, "That was a real thrill. I mean, to suddenly see those mountains. Another world..." Meanwhile, Frank Borman remarked: "We flew to the Moon as pathfinders for future Apollo missions. The first view of the Moon was mesmerizing, as we were aware that no other humans had seen the far side of the Moon directly." (Jacobs, p. 34)
Printed 1966.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS8-13-2244].
With NASA caption and "Brown Brothers Stock Photo" credit stamps and label on the reserve (issued by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.).
25.4 x 20.3 cm. (10 x 8 in.)
Historical context
This historic photograph, taken by Anders on Apollo 8's first orbit using B&W film (magazine 13/E), stands as the first successful photograph captured by humans of the Moon's far side. Moments earlier, Anders had attempted to photograph the lunar far side, but those images were severely overexposed due to the unintended use of highly sensitive film (magazine 18/G), rendering them unusable.
This superb image unveiled a landscape hidden from human eyes since the dawn of time, and still unnamed. Reflecting on the moment, Anders recalled, "That was a real thrill. I mean, to suddenly see those mountains. Another world..." Meanwhile, Frank Borman remarked: "We flew to the Moon as pathfinders for future Apollo missions. The first view of the Moon was mesmerizing, as we were aware that no other humans had seen the far side of the Moon directly." (Jacobs, p. 34)
Footnotes
The photograph was taken looking southeast with B&W magazine 13/E and the 80mm lens. The 110-km Crater Doppler (unnamed at the time, cut off at right centre, latitude 13°S, longitude 160°W) sits directly abutting the southern rim (foreground) of the huge walled-plain Crater Korolev (named America by the crew).
From the mission transcript when the photograph was taken:
071:11:19 Lovell: No, we're right in the middle of America, right now.
071:11:25 Lovell: You've got two other craters sticking up [garble]. [...]
071:12:13 Lovell: There is the big [garble] down below us.
071:12:17 Anders: Is that it?
071:12:19 Lovell: Yes. [Garble] down south right now.
071:12:32 Anders: Why, the rim of America is very hard to see, isn't it? [...]
071:12:46 Lovell: Boy, it sure feels like you're running [garble]. Very pretty.
071:12:51 Anders: Okay, getting target 10. (Target of Opportunity 10 is an area of the far side south of the Crater Doppler)
Literature
LIFE, 10 January 1969, pp. 22-23
Additional information
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