Details
452 a
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

The farside Crater Tsiolkovsky during the single pass around the Moon

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS13- 60-8659” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

452 b
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

Details of the lunar surface seen during the single pass around the Moon

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS13-60-8662” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

452 c
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

The Moon’s farside seen from high altitude through the docking window of the LM Aquarius

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970

Two unreleased photographs, vintage chromogenic prints on fiber-based Kodak paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the versos, numbered “NASA AS13-61-8731, AS13-61- 8741” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

452 d
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

The Moon seen after the slingshot pass around the farside

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS13-61-8752” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

452 e
Jack Swigert or Fred Haise

Telephotograph of the lunar farside after the slingshot pass around the Moon

Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS13-60-8681” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)
Exhibited
452 a
Zürich, Kunsthaus, Salzburg, Museum der Moderne, Fly me to the Moon, March-June 2019 and July- November 2019, exhibition catalogue, p. 360, no. 46.
Special notice
This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.
Brought to you by

Lot Essay

452 a
This photograph was taken through the 250mm telephoto lens looking southeast toward the lunar horizon.
The 180-km Crater Tsiolkovsky in the center of image is the most prominent feature on the lunar farside.
The photograph clearly shows the distinction between bright lunar highlands and lowlands flooded with dark lava from the Moon’s interior.
Latitude / longitude: 19.5° S / 129° E.

452 b
The Apollo 13 crew may have been forced to cancel their landing but a lunar pass afforded them the opportunity to take some of the finest-ever photographs of the Moon.
This photograph taken with the 250mm lens shows the 65-km Crater Green and its central peak (top center) near the southwestern portion of huge walled plain Mendeleev (at the top right).
Latitude / longitude: 1° N / 133.5° E.

452 c
These photographs were taken with the 60mm lens as the spacecraft was backing away from the Moon at the end of the pass over the lunar farside.

The first photograph shows the 233-km Crater Pasteur in the center with the 99-km Crater Saha to the right; and Smyth’s Sea visible at the top right.

The second photograph shows the dark 373-km Smyth’s Sea with the 137-km Crater Neper to the right; Craters Pasteur, Saha, Wyld, Hirayama and Babcock are also visible.

From the mission transcript as the spacecraft acquired signal with the Earth after rounding the backside of the Moon:

077:33:50 Lovell: Good morning, Houston. How do you read? [...]
077:38:34 Public Affairs Officer (Mission Control): This is Apollo Control, Houston; 77 hours, 38 minutes into the flight. Apollo 13 has now rounded the corner, headed back towards Earth. We show a velocity of 7,062 feet per second [2,152 m/s] and a distance from the Moon of 566 nautical miles [1,048 km].
077:39:23 Lovell: Well, go this way. [Pause.]
077:39:31 Lovell: All right. We’re going up on Mare
Smythii, now.

452 d
This photograph taken through the 60mm lens is centered on Smyth’s Sea. The dark Sea of Crises is well visible at the right of center.
Following their pass over the Moon’s backside, the Apollo 13 crewmen had two hours before firing Aquarius’s descent engine to correct their flight path so that they could head home.
Before that, they took the opportunity to photograph the Moon they left behind.

From the mission transcript after the pass over the lunar farside:

077:40:00 Public Affairs Officer (Mission Control): We show Apollo 13 at 630 nautical miles [1,167 km] away from the Moon. Our ignition clock shows 1 hour, 47 minutes time remaining until start of the Descent Propulsion System burn.
077:40:55 Lovell: We’ll see where [garble] zooming off. [Pause.]
077:41:02 Lovell: Oh, yes, yes, we’re no longer 139 miles. We’re leaving.
077:41:08 Haise: Yes, look at that curvature. [Pause.]
077:41:18 Lovell: That might be Crisium over there, Fred. [Long pause.]
077:41:37 Haise: Oh, yes; way off on the horizon, there, yes.

452 e
The 180-km Crater Tsiolkovsky and its central peak are clearly visible near the horizon in this photograph taken looking east toward the horizon with the 250mm telephoto lens.

077:41:44 Lovell: Hey if you want to use the 250 (mm telephoto lens)? There’s a beautiful shot of Tsiolkovsky which we very seldom have.

Related Articles

Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.

More from
Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection
Place your bid Condition report

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

I confirm that I have read this Important Notice regarding Condition Reports and agree to its terms. View Condition Report