One small snap for man: Rare original prints of iconic space photos up for auction

  • Video report by ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar

Original prints of some of the first photos ever taken in space are going up for auction next week.

Over 600 photos will be going up for sale next Wednesday, including rare original prints of the first photos ever taken on the moon.

Neil Armstrong is famed for being the first man on the moon when he took his ‘one small step’ in 1969. But he also made photographic history by taking the first photos on the moon.

'Earthrise' - the first colour photograph of the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon. Taken in 1968. Credit: Dreweatts

Original prints of Neil Armstrong’s photos are also on auction, including a photo he took of astronaut Buzz Aldrin exiting the Apollo 11 spacecraft.  The first ever colour photograph of earth from space is also up for auction.

The first still photo of a human if space is also on sale. The 1965 photo of astronaut Ed White was taken on a Kodak camera specially manufactured for NASA.

This photo of astronaut Ed White is the first still photo of a human in space. Credit: Dreweatts

Auctioneer Ania Hanrahan of Dreweatts said the first colour photo of earth from space made people realise “we are all joined inhabitants of a planet that is actually quite small”. Ms Hanrahan also said many environmental movements can be traced back to that photo.

The photos are being put up for auction by Dreweatts on Wednesday next week.