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Lot 82
[Gemini IV] FIRST U.S. SPACEWALK: Ed White reluctantly returning to the spacecraft NASA, 3-7 June 1965
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €1,024 inc. premium
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[Gemini IV] FIRST U.S. SPACEWALK: Ed White reluctantly returning to the spacecraft
NASA, 3-7 June 1965
Printed 1965.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-65-29766].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA S-65-29766" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This iconic image from the Gemini 4 mission captures the final moments of Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3, 1965. The photograph was taken by a 16mm camera that White had mounted on the spacecraft just before exiting. White is seen returning to the spacecraft, tethered by his umbilical cord. The open hatch of the spacecraft is visible on the right, with the camera's shadow cast upon it, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Earth.
The emotional significance of this moment is profound. White expressed sheer exhilaration throughout the spacewalk, resisting multiple calls from mission control to return to the spacecraft. His poignant words upon re-entering the capsule, "This is the saddest moment of my life", reflect the deep emotional impact of this groundbreaking achievement.
This photograph encapsulates humanity's enduring quest to explore beyond Earth's boundaries and embodies the spirit of adventure that defined the space race of the 1960s. It graced the cover of Newsweek at the time.
Printed 1965.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-65-29766].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA S-65-29766" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This iconic image from the Gemini 4 mission captures the final moments of Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3, 1965. The photograph was taken by a 16mm camera that White had mounted on the spacecraft just before exiting. White is seen returning to the spacecraft, tethered by his umbilical cord. The open hatch of the spacecraft is visible on the right, with the camera's shadow cast upon it, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Earth.
The emotional significance of this moment is profound. White expressed sheer exhilaration throughout the spacewalk, resisting multiple calls from mission control to return to the spacecraft. His poignant words upon re-entering the capsule, "This is the saddest moment of my life", reflect the deep emotional impact of this groundbreaking achievement.
This photograph encapsulates humanity's enduring quest to explore beyond Earth's boundaries and embodies the spirit of adventure that defined the space race of the 1960s. It graced the cover of Newsweek at the time.
Footnotes
From the mission transcript at the end of the EVA:
004:48:40 McDivitt: Come on, let's get back here before it gets dark.
004:48:46 White: Okay. This is the saddest moment of my life.
004:48:53 McDivitt: Well you're going to find a sadder one when we have to come down from this whole thing.
004:49:00 White: I'm coming.
Literature
NEWSWEEK, 21 June 1965, cover
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, September 1965, pp. 442-443 (variant)
Watch more
CLICK HERE: NASA GEMINI IV EXTRA VEHICULAR ACTIVITY EVA BY EDWARD H. WHITE
Additional information
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