Apollo Lunar Surface Closeup Camera Prototype/Training

Exceptionally desirable prototype/training model of the Apollo Lunar Surface Closeup Camera (ALSCC), a specialized stereo camera developed for NASA by Eastman Kodak and designed to allow moonwalking astronauts to take pairs of extreme close-up shots of the lunar surface during their EVAs. The ALSCC would be used on Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 14; the cameras themselves were left on the moon for the trip home to Earth, allowing a greater space/weight capacity for the return of lunar soil samples. The photographs returned by the ALSCC revealed the grainy structure of lunar soil, as well as its unlikely property of cohesion—despite being bone-dry, it can clump together and stand unsupported for at least a few centimeters.
Using a pair of 46.12-mm lenses with their optical axes set 29 mm apart and an aperture fixed at f/17, the camera is completely self contained with its own lighting and film advance motor. The shutter is operated by a trigger at the end of the pistol-grip handle. The rounded shapes of the camera's housing and internal mechanisms were specifically designed to prevent the accidental puncture of an astronaut's glove or suit. This training unit—one of four made by Eastman Kodak—is marked on the outside of the housing: "223-P1." The upper housing can be lifted off to reveal its original batteries (inside the lid, wired to the base), and film transport mechanism; a segment of Kodak Ektachrome MS-SO 368 film is visible within the unit. The take-up film cassette was designed to be easily removable by the astronauts, so that the camera could be left behind on the lunar surface. In very good condition, with general wear and a few missing pieces (including a cracked knob on the top of the case).
Accompanying documentation includes:
- "Familiarization Manual, Apollo Lunar Surface Close-Up Camera, ALSCC, Training Models 3 and 4," 20 pages plus 7 photographic plates, explaining the training camera's operation, assembly, battery handling, handle, filter assembly, and film handling procedure. The cover page is detached but present.
- Two copies of a 38-page report entitled "The Apollo Lunar Surface Close-Up Camera (ALSCC)," authored by Bruce Elle and William Wilson, presented at the SPSE 23rd Annual Conference in New York City on May 21, 1970. The report describes the design and fabrication of the ALSCC, offering superb behind-the-scenes technical detail about the camera and its development.
- A spiral-bound Eastman Kodak company report, "Final Report, Apollo Lunar Surface Close-Up Camera, NAS 9-9094," marked "Bruce L. Elle" on the front cover. According to this report, "As part of the overall ALSCC contract, Eastman Kodak Co. fabricated four units to be used for training astronauts and technicians on the use and care of the instrument. These training units reflected all of the configuration and operational parameters of the flight hardware, deviating only as necessary to expedite delivery for the earlier models."
- Two handmade display cards, one describing the technical specifications of the ALSCC and the other outlining the contract's schedule, with completion dates for various events in the rightmost column.
- 30 silver gelatin photographs related to the ALSCC, including product shots, detail views, and training exercises.
- 20 color slides, including several shots of the ALSCC and four related diagrams.
- Four color 8 x 8 photos taken on the lunar surface during Apollo 11, one of which prominently shows the ALSCC standing on the lunar surface.
- A 1989 'Kodakery' newsletter with a story about the ALSCC, featuring an image of Bruce Elle holding an ALSCC on the back page.