[FPSPACE] Neil Armstrong mystery

[Peter Pesavento]

Greetings everyone.

 

I went to a used book sale sponsored by one of the local public libraries
today, and I picked up a copy of "We Came in Peace: The Story of Man in
Space,"  a book published in 1969 about the Apollo program and had the
latest photos from the Apollo 11 feat.  One could buy a copy of this book at
one's local Gulf gasoline station in  August 1969 (despite that the
publication indicators internally indicate September 1969 as the publication
date).  I think it may have been a premium one could get for buying X number
gallons of gas for one's car.

 

(I was told about this book when I was small.  I think I may even have seen
it in the house, or in a local library.  My family had bought one I think,
but it was thoroughly used and ultimately trashed because its binding wasn't
permabound by the time I could appreciate the contents.  The pages separated
from the binding.)

 

I paid 50 cents for the book.

 

Now to the Neil Armstrong mystery.

 

I dimly, dimly remember about a decade ago or so ago, that there were some
articles claiming that there were hardly any photographs of Neil Armstrong
while he was upon the Moon, and none that showed Armstrong himself front and
center in any photo (taken by Aldrin). I equally dimly remember one
photograph of Armstrong that was identified as such of him where the
astronaut (in shadow) was near a footpad of the LM, which was taken by
Aldrin.  Of course, Armstrong's most famous photo was the one where he took
a photo of Aldrin, and one could see Armstrong in the reflection of the
visor.  (Perhaps one of the two most recognizable photographs from Apollo
11, and perhaps the most iconic of all photos from the Apollo program
(outside of the bootprint photo)).  

 

But I also dimly remember the claim that there were no actual purposefully
taken photos of Armstrong on the Moon, that could be easily identified as
such.  

 

Well, back to the book I paid 50 cents for today.

 

I perused the book, and lo, on page 47, there is a photograph of Armstrong,
and you can tell it's him (you can see his face clearly through the visor).
And the type of hard, contrasty shadows in the picture indicates it was
indeed taken on the lunar surface.  It doesn't appear to be one of those
NASA PR shots during training with the gentler shadows and textures one
would be used to in Earth-taken pictures.  It looks like the real thing.

 

All the photographs situated around this particular one in question are no
question taken upon the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11.

 

If anyone has a copy of this book, take a look at that photo on the page I
point out. 

 

My question is:  Can it be that this is indeed the elusive photograph of
Armstrong on the Moon, well-composed by Aldrin, and it is easily
recognizable as Armstrong?

 

Full bibliographic citation follows.

 

Leftoi Smith, editor.  "We Came in Peace:  The Story of Man in Space"
published by Classic Press Inc., San Rafael, CA   first printing, September
1969. 77 pages.

 

 

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