PARIS – Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr presents For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration, an exceptional auction featuring 450 vintage NASA photographs from the prestigious collection of Victor Martin-Malburet. This space historian has rediscovered numerous previously unseen images captured by astronauts in space and on the Moon. Internationally acclaimed, his collection has been showcased in major museum exhibitions. Alongside images that have become pop culture icons, the auction unveils forgotten treasures - breathtaking photographs that stand as masterpieces of humanity's artistic heritage. With estimates starting at €300, this landmark sale, held online from April 14 to April 28, 2025, in Paris, offers a rare opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike to acquire a fragment of eternity.

For All Mankind offers a comprehensive panorama of the Golden Age of Space Exploration. Among the standout lots are the first photographs taken in space and on the surface of another world, the first extravehicular activities in space and on the Moon, the footprint on the lunar surface, the far side of the Moon, as well as the iconic Earthrise and Blue Marble, and many more incredible images.

Victor Martin-Malburet developed a passion for the visual legacy of the Giant Leap for Mankind at the age of 15, when he attended an auction dedicated to space exploration with his father, a contemporary art collector.

"I was awestruck by the famous photograph of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, with the Lunar Module reflected in his visor," recalls Victor Martin-Malburet. "What could be more disruptive than the moment when humans left their planet for the first time and set foot on another world? At a time when photography was still analog, the prints produced by NASA were the treasures brought back from the unknown by the astronauts—for all mankind."

Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, head of the sale, states: "In 2012, Bonhams organized a landmark auction in New York dedicated to terrestrial and robotic space imagery, while Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr, as early as 1980, introduced photography into auctions in Paris, establishing it as a major art form. The Apollo astronauts captured humanity's greatest dream through their cameras. Their photographs will forever symbolize the beginning of our expansion into the universe. Today, space exploration is once again a burning topic. It was only natural for Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr to present these undisputed masterpieces of the 20th century to collectors, as they continue to fascinate and enrich our imagination."

The auction pays tribute to Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who passed away in 2024. His unforgettable photographs of the first Earthrise ever witnessed by humanity profoundly transformed our perception of ourselves and our place in the universe. The three images he captured - including two that remained unpublished for a long time - are offered in the sale.

NASA'S FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECES

As the astronauts ventured beyond Earth, each of their images was a first, pushing the limits of what was possible. In Houston, NASA operated the world's most advanced photo laboratory and, in close collaboration with Hasselblad, Zeiss (cameras and lenses), and Kodak (films and papers), produced photographs of unprecedented aesthetic and symbolic significance. Primarily intended for the agency's scientists to prepare future missions, a selection of images was unveiled to the public, sparking awe and a global awakening. Beyond these photographs now etched in our collective memory, the auction features some of the most historic photographs ever taken, yet at the time, they were not published by NASA. For over 25 years, Victor Martin-Malburet has sought out these extraordinarily rare treasures, buried in scientific archives and the collections of former NASA engineers.

The first-ever photograph of Earthrise captured by William Anders during Apollo 8 (Estimate: €12,000 - €18,000) – one of the most influential images in human history – was not immediately recognized as such after the mission and remained inaccessible in NASA's archives for years. At the moment he took the shot, Anders exclaimed: "Oh, my God! Look at that picture over there! Here's the Earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty!" To grasp its impact, the color photograph taken moments later by Anders was selected to illustrate the cover of LIFE magazine's 100 Photographs That Changed the World.

The first photograph taken by Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface (Estimate: €7,000 - €10,000) was not published by NASA after Apollo 11. After taking his first step, overcome with awe at this new world, Armstrong deviated from the mission plan—which initially required him to collect a contingency lunar sample in case of an emergency return—declaring: "I'll step out and take some of my first pictures here." Thus, photography became the very first human activity on another world.

The only photograph of Neil Armstrong on the Moon, taken by Buzz Aldrin (Estimate: €18,000 - €25,000). After the Apollo 11 mission, NASA claimed that no photograph of the first man on the Moon existed. Yet, this one-of-a-kind image, showing the astronaut standing beside the Lunar Module Eagle, was rediscovered 17 years later.

Under pressure to quickly release a selection of images to the scientific community and the media after the missions, NASA's Public Affairs Office did not always recognize the historical and artistic significance of certain photographs. Some were published out of context, while others languished unseen in the archives.

Even the now-iconic first selfie in space (Estimate: €8,000 - €10,000)—a defining image in the history of exploration— was at risk of being forgotten. Originally, NASA described the Gemini 12 photo in a rather mundane way: "Astronaut Aldrin is photographed with the spacecraft hatch open." Much later, Buzz Aldrin himself reclaimed the image, captioning it: "THE BEST SELFIE EVER."

Thanks to his meticulous research in NASA's archives and mission transcripts, Victor Martin-Malburet has restored the original context of these images and credited the astronauts for their own photographs—a recognition that NASA did not systematically grant them. In doing so, he was the first to bring to light images of major historical significance.

The first-ever photograph taken in space by humans. Captured by John Glenn during Friendship 7's first orbit in 1962, this historic image marks the dawn of humanity's visual legacy in space. At the time, photography was merely experimental –Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, even purchased his own camera for the shot.
Estimate: €4,000 - €6,000

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."
Estimate: €4,000 - €6,000

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 Moonfelt like crossing into another dimension.
Estimate: €4,000 - €6,000

The first portrait in space. Captured by James McDivitt during Gemini 4, this stunning photograph shows an exhilarated Ed White upon his return to the Gemini capsule after America's first spacewalk.
Estimate: €2,000 - €3,000

The first photograph of the Moon's farside taken by humans. Captured by William Anders during Apollo 8's first orbit, it revealed a landscape that had remained hidden from human eyes since the dawn of time. Anders reflected, "That was a real thrill. I mean, to suddenly see those mountains. Another world..."
Estimate: €1,200 - €1,800

The first photograph of the whole Moon seen from a non-Earth perspective. Captured by William Anders at the beginning of Apollo 8's return journey, it reveals a Moon that Earth-bound observers can never see, as it always shows us the same face.
Estimate: €1,200 - €1,800

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SALE:

The first Space Sunset. Captured by John Glenn—the first human to photograph space—aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. Glenn marveled: "Orbital sunset is tremendous... a truly beautiful, beautiful sight. The setting sun wraps a scarf around Earth's curving face."
Estimate: €4,000 - €6,000

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. They reveal the unreal and majestic beauty of the lunar landscape.
Estimate: €4,000 - €6,000

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.
Estimate: €1,200 - €1,800

[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.
Estimate: €2,000 - €3,000

[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.
Estimate: €3,000 - €5,000

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."

(Press Release)