Buzz Aldrin portrait achieves €28,160

PARIS – On May 10, 1946, a V2 rocket captured from the Germans became the first U.S. rocket to reach outer space, ushering a new era for humankind. The photograph sold for €24,320 (estimate: €1,000 – 1,500) after fierce bidding. This was one of the highlights of the online auction featuring 449 vintage NASA photographs from the prestigious collection of space historian Victor Martin-Malburet, held online by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr from 14 April to 28 April 2025 in Paris.

The otherworldly photograph by Neil Armstrong showing Buzz Aldrin on the Moon with the photographer, LM Eagle and Earth reflected in his gold-plated sun visor on Apollo 11 sold for €28,160 (Estimate: €5,000 - €7,000), top lot of the sale.

The sale entitled For All Mankind offered a comprehensive panorama of the artistic legacy of early space exploration and achieved a total of €416,627 with many lots exceeding their high estimate and 80% of lots sold (100% sold by value).

Victor Martin-Malburet was a pioneer in rediscovering and recontextualizing the visual legacy of humankind's Giant Leap from an early age, as he sought out the most disruptive moments in artistic creation alongside his father, a collector of contemporary art. Speaking after the sale, he remarked: "NASA's vintage post-mission prints are artistic artefacts brought back from the unknown—for all mankind. They are now entering the collections of art lovers around the world. Over 25 years, I meticulously unearthed and showcased these visual treasures in museums, which had long been overlooked despite their unparalleled cultural and aesthetic magnitude. I am thrilled that they will now inspire passion and emotion in their new homes."

Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, Head of Sale, added: "The Apollo astronauts captured humanity's greatest dream through their cameras. They stand among the greatest artists of the 20th century. Their photographs became pop culture icons and are in all our minds, evoking a powerful and universal emotional message that transformed our centered point of view as humans from Earth. I want to thank collectors for their bids on these masterpieces of the 20th century, as they continue to fascinate and enrich our imagination."

The auction paid tribute to Apollo 8 astronaut, William Anders, who passed away in 2024. His unforgettable first photographs of Planet Earth witnessed from space by humanity profoundly transformed our perception of ourselves and our place in the universe. The images he captured as he orbited another world for the first time in history - including two that remained unpublished for a long time - were offered in the sale and made strong prices.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SALE INCLUDED:

The first-ever colour photograph of Earthrise captured by William Anders during Apollo 8 sold for €12,800, doubling its estimate (Estimate: €6,000 - €8,000). This iconic photograph captures what is arguably the most awe-inspiring sight ever witnessed by humanity—an image that forever changed our perception of our place in the universe, made us recognize the fragility of our planet, and fostered a sense of global consciousness. William Anders took this historic photograph of Earth rising over the Moon's far side using the Hasselblad 500EL equipped with a 250mm telephoto lens and colour magazine 14/D. The photograph was the central image on the cover of LIFE magazine's 100 photos that changed the world.

The first photograph (large format) of the whole planet earth taken by humans captured by William Anders during Apollo 8, 21–27 December 1968 is one of the most important images of space exploration and sold for €9,600 (Estimate: €5,000 - €7,000). The Apollo 8 astronauts became the first humans to see the Earth as a sphere hanging in space. William Anders captured this awe-inspiring first human-taken photograph of the whole Earth just 4 hours and 36 minutes after launch, from a distance of approximately 27,000 km (16,777 miles).

[Apollo 11] The footprint on the Moon. July 21, 1969. This masterpiece by Buzz Aldrin symbolizes human space exploration sold for €8,960. After first photographing the pristine lunar soil, untouched for billions of years, Buzz Aldrin captured this iconic image of his footprint pressed into the fine lunar dust. This photograph has become a lasting symbol of human space exploration. Like the haunting footprints left by early humans in caves during the Ice Age, Aldrin's boot print is expected to endure for thousands of years, carrying the same timeless message: "We were here."

[Gemini IV] Cover of Life: the first U.S. space walk by Ed White, James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965 sold for €7,040, more than three times its estimate. This striking photograph, unmatched in its drama and power, graced the cover of LIFE magazine on June 18, 1965, becoming one of the most iconic images in the history of photography. Ed White is truly 'walking in space' above the blue Earth over Texas, tethered to the orbiting Gemini capsule.

The spectacular Hadley-Apennine Valley, Apollo 15 landing site: original panorama captured by James Irwin. Exceptionally rare, the lunar panoramas taken by astronauts were used to reconstruct the geological features of the explored sites. Sold for €4,864

The first photograph of a human in space. This iconic image, captured by James McDivitt during the first American spacewalk on Gemini 4, stands as the first-ever still photograph of a human in space. As he floated above Earth, Ed White famously remarked, "I feel like a million dollars."Sold for €4,684

[Viking 1] The first color photograph of Mars, taken by the first probe to land on the planet in July 1976. A testament to humanity's ongoing journey into the cosmos. Sold for €4,864
[Apollo 17] The final Earthrise captured by humans. December 7-19, 1972. This poetic crescent Earth, photographed by Ronald Evans above the dramatic lunar horizon, symbolizes the end of the first era of human space exploration.Sold for €3,584

The first photograph of a human on another world. Captured by Neil Armstrong in the early moments of Apollo 11's moonwalk, as Buzz Aldrin deployed the Solar Wind Experiment, this historic image is the first photograph of a human on another world. For Buzz Aldrin, stepping onto the sunlit Moon felt like crossing into another dimension.Sold for €3,840

[Apollo 17] The final nighttime launch to the Moon: NASA's annotated and used copy. Victor Martin-Malburet's collection includes the original prints used by NASA to produce the Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report, on humanity's final voyage to the Moon.Sold for €1,664

The Martin-Malburet collection has been exhibited in leading museums worldwide, including the Grand Palais and Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Kunsthaus in Zürich, and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. As Philippe Malgouyres, curator at the Louvre, notes in the Grand Palais Lune Catalogue, "This collection is unparalleled."