[Gemini XII] The beauty of Earth: breathtaking views from space taken with...

[Gemini XII] The beauty of Earth: breathtaking views from space taken with the unrivaled Hasselblad Super Wide camera. Buzz Aldrin or James Lovell, 11–15 November 1966. Printed 1966. Four vintage chromogenic prints on fiber-based Kodak paper [NASA images S-66–63044, S-66–63082, S-66–63087, S-66–63471]. Each 20,3×25,4 cm (8×10 in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso (NASA / Kodak, Rochester, NY). (4).

First photograph: Mexico (Baja California) between Punta Baja and Santa Rosalie, small bit of Sonora at Puerto Libertad.

Second photograph: Iran, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Trucial Oman, Muscat & Oman, Zagros Mts., Qeshm Island.

Third photograph: Libya-Algeria-Tunisia, Hamada El Hamra, Idehan and Tiririne Dunes, Grand Erg Oriental, Note Contrail and Shadow.

Fourth photograph: Mauritania looking to east, Richat Structure, El Djouf Desert.

Gemini's wonderful photographs of the Earth marked the birth of our environmental consciousness. The longer missions and perfected photographic equipment allowed the astronauts to record extremely detailed photographs of the Earth, definitely confirming the potential of photography from space and bringing to light the fragility of the Earth. These photographs were taken with the amazing Hasselblad Super Wide camera and its 38mm lens loaded with Kodak film which offered unparalleled photography quality but was unfortunately discontinued on later Apollo missions for practical reasons.

“Everybody is interested in the Earth we live on. The astronauts just brought it home visually. Nobody could ever draw or paint it. I think their missions will live forever through photography.” Les Gaver, former photography director, Public Affairs, NASA (Schick and Van Haaften, p. 12).

Condition Report:All four prints on double weight paper in excellent condition.

Category:Photos ▸ Vintage photographs