[Apollo 7] First Apollo astronaut in space: superb chiaroscuro portrait of Donn...

[Apollo 7] First Apollo astronaut in space: superb chiaroscuro portrait of Donn Eisele on board the first manned Apollo spacecraft. Walter Cunningham or Walter Schirra, 11–22 October 1968. Printed 1968. Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS7–4-1583]. 20.3×25.4 cm (8×10 in), with NASA caption numbered “NASA AS7–4-1583” and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso (NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas).

A great photograph of Donn Eisele in weightlessness on board the Apollo 7 Command Module, first manned Apollo spacecraft to venture into space. The Apollo 7 mission signaled a new potential for on-board space photography, made possible by the relative spaciousness of the Apollo Command Module. For the first time, cameramen were free to move about the cabin and select framing and perspective.

“On Apollo 7, we had more film, and more time to kill. The Gemini spacecraft wasn’t so spacious inside that you could get a good picture without a superwide-angle lens. But with the Apollo spacecraft, you had room to get some distance or depth of field. So we started studying the spacecraft contents, where before we had been fascinated by the view outside.” Walter Schirra (Schick and Van Haaften, p. 21).

Condition Report:Slight paper accretion to bottom right corner, otherwise excellent condition.

Category:Photos ▸ Vintage photographs