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Lot 183
[Apollo 8] HUMANITY'S FIRST HOMEWARD JOURNEY FROM ANOTHER WORLD: James Lovell in the spacecraft returning to Earth William Anders or Frank Borman, 21-27 December 1968
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €384 inc. premium
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[Apollo 8] HUMANITY'S FIRST HOMEWARD JOURNEY FROM ANOTHER WORLD: James Lovell in the spacecraft returning to Earth
William Anders or Frank Borman, 21-27 December 1968
Printed 1968.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-68-56533].
Numbered "NASA S-68-56533" in red in the top margin, with NASA caption and "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This historic photograph captures James Lovell inside the Apollo 8 Command Module, marking humanity's first return journey from another world. Taken from 16mm motion picture film, this rare image symbolizes the culmination of an unprecedented voyage—the first crewed mission to leave Earth, orbit the Moon, and return home safely.
Apollo 8 was a mission of daring and discovery, proving that humans could navigate deep space, execute crucial manoeuvres, and withstand prolonged weightlessness. Here, Lovell is seen floating comfortably in zero gravity, relaxed yet focused, embodying the pioneering spirit of exploration. His headset signifies ongoing communication with Mission Control as he and his crewmates, Frank Borman and William Anders, hurtled back toward Earth after three days in lunar orbit.
This image not only represents a technical triumph but also a profound shift in human perspective—a moment when Earth was no longer the only world ever visited by humankind. It was the first time in history that people set course from another celestial body back to their home planet, a journey that would pave the way for future Moon landings and beyond.
Printed 1968.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-68-56533].
Numbered "NASA S-68-56533" in red in the top margin, with NASA caption and "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This historic photograph captures James Lovell inside the Apollo 8 Command Module, marking humanity's first return journey from another world. Taken from 16mm motion picture film, this rare image symbolizes the culmination of an unprecedented voyage—the first crewed mission to leave Earth, orbit the Moon, and return home safely.
Apollo 8 was a mission of daring and discovery, proving that humans could navigate deep space, execute crucial manoeuvres, and withstand prolonged weightlessness. Here, Lovell is seen floating comfortably in zero gravity, relaxed yet focused, embodying the pioneering spirit of exploration. His headset signifies ongoing communication with Mission Control as he and his crewmates, Frank Borman and William Anders, hurtled back toward Earth after three days in lunar orbit.
This image not only represents a technical triumph but also a profound shift in human perspective—a moment when Earth was no longer the only world ever visited by humankind. It was the first time in history that people set course from another celestial body back to their home planet, a journey that would pave the way for future Moon landings and beyond.
Footnotes
"I think you all overemphasize this emotional, what-does-it-do-to-the-psyche and all that sort of stuff. We're engineers and we're test pilots. You're not doing anything different from taking up an airplane. And going out to the Moon is certainly a first, and it's awe-inspiring, and it's great. But I mean, there's no great emotional change. Nothing in zero gravity or space changes anything you think, or anything like that. [...] I mean, it's just another extension of our exploration."
—James Lovell (Chaikin, Voices, p. 162)
Literature
National Geographic, May 1969, pp. 622-623
Additional information
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