1328301
Neil Armstrong
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Near-mint photo of Armstrong, signed in person, with affidavit of provenance
Neil Alden Armstrong, 1930-2012. American astronaut; first man on the moon. 8" x 10" color photograph, signed in person Best wishes / Neil Armstrong. With notarized affidavit of provenance.
Armstrong signed this beautiful glossy photograph in person on July 20, 1989, at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the first lunar landing. Armstrong, who as the commander of Apollo XI became the first astronaut to walk on the moon, signed it for the collector from whom we acquired it. The photo has never been offered for sale before.
The collector, who lived in Florida at the time, took her small children to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and then on to Washington for the 20th anniversary celebration. She bought this photograph at the Kennedy Space Center gift shop with the hope that she might be able to have Armstrong sign it. Given the size of the crowd, she thought that she would never have the opportunity to ask him. But as she was taking her children to the restroom, she came face to face with Armstrong as he emerged from the men's restroom. She asked him to sign the photo, and, with no one else around, he did so. He signed standing in the hallway outside the restrooms, holding the photo on a piece of cardboard that was in the envelope to keep it flat. As he was signing his last name, another man came out of the restroom and bumped Armstrongʼs arm, but Armstrong finished the signature. The collector tells us that he was very outgoing and cordial to both her and her children.
The photograph remained in the collector's possession until we acquired it.
This photograph is somewhat uncommon because Armstrong wrote the letters "es" in "wishes" across a corner of the American flag. Armstrong occasionally wrote across the flag but usually avoided doing so. As noted above, though, he signed this photo standing up in a hallway with only the cardboard stiffener that came with the photo as a table.
Armstrong has boldly signed with the black Sharpie that the collector carried with her. The photo is printed on glossy photo paper. It would be extra fine were it not for a couple of almost imperceptible handling marks that we note for accuracy. We consider it very fine.
The photograph comes with a notarized affidavit from the collector explaining the circumstances under which she obtained Armstrongʼs signature.
This item has been sold.
Click here to see other astronaut and American History autographs.
Please note that, for privacy, we have not illustrated the notarized affidavit of provenance that accompanies this piece.
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