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Lot 75
[Gemini IV] ED WHITE TAKING THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS FROM OUTER SPACE DURING THE FIRST U.S. SPACEWALK James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €2,432 inc. premium
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[Gemini IV] ED WHITE TAKING THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS FROM OUTER SPACE DURING THE FIRST U.S. SPACEWALK
James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965
Printed 1965.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-65-30432].
Numbered "NASA S-65-30432" 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
Suspended in the vastness of space, Ed White is in the process of photographing the Gemini IV spacecraft with a Zeiss Contarex 35mm camera mounted atop his gas-powered manoeuvring gun, with the awe-inspiring view of Earth's vibrant blue surface in the background. This amazing photograph marks one of the earliest instances of humans visually documenting their technological environment in space. This image symbolizes the growing role of astronauts as both explorers and photographers, capturing the intersection of science, humanity, and the cosmos. The photograph also underscores the fragility of humanity's presence in space, where life is sustained only by the thin layers of technology and ingenuity developed for such missions.
Printed 1965.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-65-30432].
Numbered "NASA S-65-30432" 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
Suspended in the vastness of space, Ed White is in the process of photographing the Gemini IV spacecraft with a Zeiss Contarex 35mm camera mounted atop his gas-powered manoeuvring gun, with the awe-inspiring view of Earth's vibrant blue surface in the background. This amazing photograph marks one of the earliest instances of humans visually documenting their technological environment in space. This image symbolizes the growing role of astronauts as both explorers and photographers, capturing the intersection of science, humanity, and the cosmos. The photograph also underscores the fragility of humanity's presence in space, where life is sustained only by the thin layers of technology and ingenuity developed for such missions.
Footnotes
The photograph was taken by James McDivitt with a NASA-modified Hasselblad 500C 70mm camera and 70mm Eastman Kodak Ektachrome MS film from inside the spacecraft.
From the mission transcript when the photograph was taken (at T+004:44:41 after launch):
004:44:02 White: I'm trying to get some pictures. I'm right above my hatch now.
004:44 08: McDivitt: Okay.
004:44:15 Capcom (Mission Control): Gemini 4, Houston.
004:44:16 White: Yes, sir. If I had about another couple of bottles (for the self-maneuvering unit), Jim ....
004:44:20 McDivitt: That would really be it, huh?
004:44:22 White: Yes. I'm still not satisfied with the pictures I'm getting. I've only gotten about three or four.
004:44:24 Capcom: Gemini 4, Houston.
004:44:33 McDivitt: Is that right? I've taken a lot but, they're not very good. You're in too close.
004:44:40 White: Okay.
004:44:41 McDivitt: I finally put the focus down to about 8 feet or so. Oh yes, that's great, the clouds on water behind you.
Literature
National Geographic, September 1965, pp. 444-445
Spacecam: Photographing the Final Frontier from Apollo to Hubble, Hope, p. 52
Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon, Reynolds, p. 50
Watch more
CLICK HERE: NASA GEMINI IV EXTRA VEHICULAR ACTIVITY EVA BY EDWARD H. WHITE
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