posted 08-19-2024 04:46 PM               

We begin with the Apollo 11 crew of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Armstrong's autograph is on an Artcraft First Day of Issue Cover (FDC). These Artcraft "First Man on the Moon" first day covers were issued in huge quantities, but are surely seldom seen signed by Armstrong. Aldrin's autograph is on an Apollo 11 secondary recovery ship cover with a very special mission inscription added. Like the FDC signed by Armstrong, such Apollo 11 secondary recovery ship covers would be seldom seen signed by Aldrin and with such a special inscription.

The Apollo 12 crew of Charles Conrad and Alan Bean autographed much material related to their Apollo 12 flight, but Conrad's autograph on this Gemini/Two-man Spacecraft generic cacheted cover for GT-5 is unusual, but not anything special (but a great early autograph and inscription).

Back in 1998, Alan Bean autographed collector material for a fee of $10 (!) and was one of the first astronauts to charge for their autograph. He endorsed my $10 check on the back.

The Apollo 14 crew of Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell autographed much Apollo 14 material. But displayed here for moonwalker Shepard is a scarce Goldey Mercury-Redstone 3 launch cover he autographed. This Goldey cover is not often seen and even more-so autographed by Shepard (note the misspellings in the excellent cachet).

Mitchell has autographed a not common Apollo 14 Titusville-Moonport Stamp Club cover with a superb mission inscription (this was the result of a paid signing).

Now continuing with autograph material by the Apollo 15 crew of David Scott and Jim Irwin. Scott autographed this Space Shuttle Enterprise Overland Move cover that was canceled along its route from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base. But, why did Scott sign a Space Shuttle cover?! Because he was the Dryden Flight Research Center Director at Edwards this time. This Rockwell Space Division Stamp Club cover with Scott's autograph is possibly unique.

Jim Irwin signed this USS Okinawa cover with a special inscription. But that doesn't make it seldom seen or unusual, but what does is that it is affixed with one of the 4,000 just-issued "Decade of Achievement" stamps especially flown to the Prime Recovery Ship, with many used on the infamous Apollo 15 flown to the moon covers.

On John Young's sixth space flight on Apollo 16, he became the ninth man to walk on the moon, with Charlie Duke becoming the tenth. Young was scheduled to make his seventh space flight on STS-31, the flight that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope, but was removed from the flight because of critical comments he made on the safety of the shuttle system. But previously he did autograph this STS-31 cover, as the original commander, then replaced by Loren Shriver. Such STS-31 covers, signed by the crew that flew, plus Young's autograph, are surely very seldom seen.

This is a NASA VIP card with Charlie Duke's signature and added inscription. VIP cards are very popular with collectors and while not unusual, it is noteworthy to see such a well-applied moonwalker autograph and inscription on a VIP card.

On Apollo 17 and the sixth moon landing, Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt became the eleventh and twelfth men to land and walk on the moon. Gene Cernan signed this mundane cover that marks his return to his hometown of Bellwood, IL after his Apollo 17 flight. Of note is the special slogan cancel paying tribute to him.

The other cover, nicely signed and inscribed by Schmitt, also pays tribute to a native son, Harrison Schmitt, on his return to his hometown of Silver City, NM after him becoming the twelfth and final, for the time, moonwalker.

posted 08-22-2024 10:16 AM               

My first choice for "the first man" would be a hand-written letter to his father when Armstrong was 18 years of age just out of high school. He became a midshipman in February 1949 as a naval aviator student at the military air station in Pensacola, Florida, as part of a pre-flight training class with four months of classroom studies. From there he was assigned as a naval carrier ship-based fighter pilot in training and later flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War until 1952.

The content of the two-sided letter to his father, Stephen Armstrong of Wapakoneta, Ohio, was personal for his dad's eyes only (not meant for his mother Viola to read). It was regarding His Last Will Testament and Life Insurance Policy for his father to review along with young Neil's provided emergency contact information if needed. The ink-penned letter is perhaps one of the earliest autographs ("Neil") during the start of his aviation and aerospace career nearly two decades before his epic lunar landing spaceflight. Quite an interesting read.

posted 08-22-2024 10:36 AM               

1st thing: Wow!

2nd thing: Wow!!

What an incredible letter to have in a collection.

posted 09-08-2024 07:10 PM               

Unknowing at the time to me, it was considered not a good idea in trying to contact NASA astronauts by using their home or private addresses. So when writing to the Aldrin family at Carriage Court in Houston thanking them for their space service to our country and nicely requesting for a signature of the senior Aldrin, this is what came back to me. The signed Aldrin card is one of my early favorites, even though it may seem very simple, but in addition there was a nice "Thank you very much" note from Aldrin's first wife, Joan, as well. That was in Nov. 1970, more than a year after Aldrin flew to the moon, and the start of my space autograph collecting hobby that same year.

One of my last signatures of the "Second Man" was not too long ago (see second panel) when Dr. Aldrin signed several items for me. I was helping with the Buzz Aldrin Ventures, LLC, on a special request by their Chief Operating Officer. One of the signed items is an official NASA red serial numbered glossy that Col./Dr. Aldrin signed along with adding two sticky notes attached on it.

Perhaps another "standout" signed item is the official NASA litho, which is seldom seen, of another famous "Earth Rise" shot by Michael Collins as seen from Apollo 11. I don't think Aldrin hardly signed/inscribed any of this exact same photo as, "July 21, 1969 . . Man's first liftoff from another world! Buzz Aldrin (signed) Apollo XI LMP."