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Lot 250
[Apollo 11] 'ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND': the astronaut bootprint on the Moon Buzz Aldrin, 16-24 July 1969
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue Hoche€3,000 - €5,000
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[Apollo 11] 'ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND': the astronaut bootprint on the Moon
Buzz Aldrin, 16-24 July 1969
Printed 1969.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS11-40-5880].
Numbered "NASA AS11-40-5880" in red in the top margin, with "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 legendary photograph, taken by Buzz Aldrin as part of a soil mechanics test, provides a visual record of the lunar surface's density and texture. Over time, it has become one of the most iconic images of the entire space program—a lasting symbol of humanity's first steps beyond Earth.
"I felt buoyant and full of goose pimples when I stepped down on the surface. I immediately looked down at my feet and became intrigued with the peculiar properties of the lunar dust."
— Buzz Aldrin (NASA SP-350, p. 11.4)
Although Neil Armstrong did not photograph his own first step, he provided an immediate description of the surface upon stepping off the LM Eagle (mission transcript at T+109:24:48 after launch):
"Yes, the surface is fine and powdery. I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine, sandy particles."
Printed 1969.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS11-40-5880].
Numbered "NASA AS11-40-5880" in red in the top margin, with "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 legendary photograph, taken by Buzz Aldrin as part of a soil mechanics test, provides a visual record of the lunar surface's density and texture. Over time, it has become one of the most iconic images of the entire space program—a lasting symbol of humanity's first steps beyond Earth.
"I felt buoyant and full of goose pimples when I stepped down on the surface. I immediately looked down at my feet and became intrigued with the peculiar properties of the lunar dust."
— Buzz Aldrin (NASA SP-350, p. 11.4)
Although Neil Armstrong did not photograph his own first step, he provided an immediate description of the surface upon stepping off the LM Eagle (mission transcript at T+109:24:48 after launch):
"Yes, the surface is fine and powdery. I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine, sandy particles."
Footnotes
Literature
LIFE, 8 August 1969, pp. 20-21
LIFE, 11 August 1969
Apollo Expeditions to the Moon (NASA SP-350), Cortright, ed., p. 214
Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon, Reynolds, p. 1
Watch more
CLICK HERE: Apollo 11 Moonwalk Part 2 of 4