posted 03-07-2010 10:43 AM               

Mankind's Race for the Moon Celebrated at Bonhams

An annual auction that celebrates space flight, from the earliest experiments to the present day, The Space History Sale is set to take place at Bonhams in New York on Tuesday April 13. Featuring over 290 lots, the sale contains objects and ephemera from all of the most memorable NASA space flight programs including Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.

"We're proud to continue this annual New York auction of Space History," says Matthew Haley, Bonhams Specialist. "The auction features items that hark back to the first golden age of space exploration, when man sought to reach the moon, along with lots that celebrate what came before and after these monumental trips to the lunar surface."

With the Apollo missions capturing the public imagination like no other space program, objects from this series of voyages feature prominently in the sale. Of particular note are a number of truly remarkable Apollo lots that are set to entice international interest, from both private and institutional buyers.

Apollo 13

Forty years to the day of the Bonhams auction, Apollo 13, the third lunar mission to the moon, suffered an oxygen tank explosion, and the crew famously radioed back the words, 'Houston, we've had a problem.' The emergency checklist list from that flight, used and marked after the explosion by the Apollo 13 crew on April 13, 1970, will be offered in the sale - it serves as a poignant reminder of the precarious state the three astronauts' lives were in.

During the emergency, the crew had to stabilize and re-align their spacecraft while saving enough power and oxygen to survive the long voyage back home. Their survival and safe return to earth is one of the most celebrated triumphs of American 20th century space flight (estimate: $20,000-30,000).

Apollo 11

Directly consigned from Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, a mission patch flown to the moon is a leading lot in the auction and is signed by all three Apollo 11 astronauts (estimate: $40,000-60,000).

A diamond and gold pin given to Deke Slayton, NASA Director of Flight Crew Operations, is an extraordinary artifact whose history spans the Apollo program, from the tragic lows to the triumphant highs. Presented to Slayton by the widows of the Apollo 1 astronauts who died in the flash fire at the Cape Canaveral launchpad in 1967, it had originally been planned as a gift to Slayton from the Apollo 1 astronauts themselves. After receiving the pin, Deke lent it to Neil Armstrong, who took it to the lunar surface on Apollo 11 (estimate: $80,000-120,000).

Another notable Apollo 11 lot is a flight plan sheet signed and inscribed by Neil Armstrong, 'One small step for a man -- one giant leap for mankind'. Given to John McLeaish, NASA press officer, by Neil Armstrong while both were in quarantine after the trip, this is particularly unusual as Armstrong has said he never wrote this phrase for anyone, and no other example has ever come to auction (estimate: $60,000-80,000).

posted 03-07-2010 02:41 PM               

The ultimate Armstrong memento, Pearlman relates, would be a signed picture or letter that includes Neil's famous quote "one small step." For years it was believed that no authentic examples of such an item existed. Recently, "an authentic example," signed while Neil was still in quarantine, surfaced and though it never sold, many thought it could easily reach $25,000, if not higher.

Armstrong categorically denounces any such item as a fake. "I know that to be false, because I have never, ever quoted myself. From day one, I never did that. So it doesn't exist anywhere. Not for my mom, not for the Smithsonian, not for anybody -- there is not one anywhere. Not in quarantine or any other time. I never did one."

posted 03-07-2010 03:31 PM               

Several other luminaries made very emphatic denials however untrue - FDR said he would never sign a franking signature on an envelope as it was illegal as a sitting president - and postage must be paid - he did however sign two for a noted friend who collected franked envelopes of presidents; Gerald Ford actually wrote a letter stating he had "never" signed a copy of the pardon of Richard Nixon - however he has signed quite a few, the same be said of the photo of the five living presidents which only a two dozen were to be signed for each other and charity, more were signed; Joe Dimaggio had a physical sign, which I've seen at signings, saying he would not sign bats, or any items which had a likeness of Marilyn Monroe - he did sign bats for a high fee, and he signed a copy of the first Playboy magazine with Marilyn on the cover for Barry Halper; Mickey Mantle would never ever sign bats, but did for a high fee for certain dealers.

This Armstrong item was first offered on eBay - and if I recall the starting price at the time time was $50,000 (but I may be wrong on the low side). The book came out much later. I believe Armstrong was incensed that a favor he did for someone was going to result in windfall and it genuinely bothered him, much akin to the signed photos being signed for free for years. I think he either genuinely forgot, or he absolutely wants no one to benefit from his kindness in this unique gesture of friendship. The controversy over "for man" vs "for a man" was discussed by him after the quarantine, and for this item to have "a man" is consistent with what he believed he said at the time written.

Leonard Bernstein became incensed when he saw a musical quotation he wrote out and signed up for auction in Charles Hamilton's auction several decades ago. Hamilton wrote of it in his book and how Bernstein marched into his office in the '80s and said "I might as well hand over $50 (now worth much more) to anyone who asks for one - I will not do it again." He kept his word as far as musical quotations.

posted 03-07-2010 03:58 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by nasamad:
Take a look at lot 1236, I have NEVER seen anything flown this big in an auction!

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posted 03-19-2010 01:43 PM               

American enthusiasm for the space program may have dimmed in recent decades -- what kid these days says they want to grow up to be an astronaut? -- but interest in space memorabilia is apparently strong. On April 13 in New York, Bonhams will hold The Space History Sale, featuring rare items from the pioneering days of the space program, like the flight checklist from Apollo 13 and a mission patch that belonged to Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins and went to the moon.

posted 03-27-2010 06:03 AM               

• The Sun
  Moon flight plan 'A' real find

  The original flight plan from the first moon landing has emerged -- proving that astronaut Neil Armstrong had intended to say: "One small step for 'A' man, one giant leap for mankind."

• Sunday Express
  One Small Note Proves Astronaut Neil Armstrong Really Fluffed His Lines

  It is one of the most-quoted statements of all time. But the debate over whether pioneer astronaut Neil Armstrong fluffed his lines while taking the first steps on the moon was finally settled yesterday.

1. For many years Armstrong has said he intended to say "for 'a' man," thus there is no great revelation by him having written the same; and,

2. This document doesn't prove he didn't say "for 'a' man" and that the 'a' was lost in transmission. I'm not claiming he did or did not, but either way, to try to claim that this document solves that one way or another is pure rubbish.

There are other issues with the stories, too. "The original flight plan from the first moon landing has emerged," writes The Sun, as if other copies of the flight plan do not exist, or as if Armstrong's words were written in the flight plan as a script. Worse, it implies that this was a flown flight plan page, or that it belonged to/was used by Armstrong, neither of which can be sustained by the provenance offered.

The Sun also writes, "Armstrong said in his autobiography he has never written the phrase down but experts believe he must have forgotten about writing it directly after his return to Earth." I would really like to know who the "experts" are who feel confident questioning Armstrong's memory.

posted 03-27-2010 10:31 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by spaceflori:
The good thing with all the press hype is that it is good for space memorabilia in general!

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posted 03-27-2010 10:35 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by nasamad:
Take a look at lot 1236, I have NEVER seen anything flown this big in an auction!

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Unflown. Rather, this particular Command Module docking ring is a structural engineering component used during post-flight testing to determine the reasons for the probe's initial failures. It would seem that NASA recreated the conditions involved with the probe failure using a mixture of flown and unflown components. This ring was linked in NASA and NASM documents to several other components also associated with spacecraft 110 (Kittyhawk) that normally would have been jettisoned during flight.

The flown CM docking ring, the twin of this one, remained with the ascent stage of the Lunar Module Antares when it was jettisoned. Antares was then deliberately crashed into the moon's surface to simulate a "moonquake."

posted 03-27-2010 11:43 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
While the media attention is likely to attract new interest in space memorabilia, that is hardly a valid reason to misrepresent the history and nature of the item(s) being sold. The piece in question (lot 1161) has an interesting real story that embellishment shouldn't be necessary.

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Any story, no matter how wrong, adds to the aura of this piece - look at the blue and red famous Mauritius stamp cover - 150 years of fairy tales mixed with real facts. Nobody really cares about the letter itself now and the background story, but it's the most talked philatelic item in history and most likely the most expensive one, too.

posted 03-27-2010 12:14 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I have to believe that this is the result of shoddy journalism rather than someone associated with this lot pitching an embellished story.

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posted 03-27-2010 12:34 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by spaceflori:
...on the other hand do you think 99.99% of the population really cares about it?

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quote:

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Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
...so, unlike you, I am inclined to see this as a story that has been "fed" to the media with a view to promotion.

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posted 03-27-2010 01:48 PM               

The extremely rare document is believed to be the only time the astronaut ever wrote the phrase...

posted 03-27-2010 05:09 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
I am inclined to see this as a story that has been "fed" to the media with a view to promotion.

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posted 03-28-2010 06:15 AM              

If anyone wants to check with Bonhams, here is the press release talking up the auction "Mankind's Race For The Moon Celebrated at Bonhams In New York."

The Bonhams publicist is Staci Smith and her contact info is at the bottom of the press release.

posted 04-13-2010 03:50 PM               

Some home run sales prices, including commissions: the great Armstrong quote (lot 1161) for $152,000; Collin's very popular flown mission patch for $85,400; a flown Apollo 11 LM G&N page for $30,500; an Apollo 11 data clip used on the surface $21,740, an Apollo 11 surface checklist page with notations $33,550; a well notated flown Apollo 13 page $45,750 and, yes, the unflown large docking ring made the low estimate at $33,550.

The strike outs; several flown Apollo 11 pages didn't sell as well as some Apollo 12 flown equipment.

posted 04-14-2010 03:40 AM               

Lot 1238, the Apollo 14 flown Congo flag presentation hand signed by Alan Shepard, which sold for $976 including fees. A lunar flown flag with an unusual history and impeccable provenance, for significantly less than a run-of-the-mill Armstrong WSS ISP.