By the time you read this, catalog production for the November 11th Space Exploration Auction #6167 will be well underway with the press date looming large. This will be the nineteenth of Heritage’s semi-annual auctions featuring the finest in Space memorabilia. On three separate occasions in the past, Heritage has had the privilege to offer a single original Alan Bean painting at auction.
Space Exploration Auction
This time around, they have not one, but two, of his stunning works! These are both large (24″ x 18″) and impressive museum-framed paintings ready to hang in your home or office. The first is titled “Our World At My Fingertips” and depicts our planet Earth small enough to be seen between the thumb and forefinger of his gloved hand. This was privately commissioned and was completed in 2005; many of you have probably seen it on exhibit in the Cosmosphere over the last ten years. It is one of his paintings with Apollo 12 flown materials mixed in with the texturizing compound.
The second painting is titled “Test Drive” and illustrates Gene Cernan taking the Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle for a quick spin just after it was extricated from the LM and before the extra equipment was added to it. This was completed in 1984 and has been in a private collection for many years.
Space Exploration Auction
Also part of the auction will be forty-four lots from the family collection of the late Tom McFadden.There are some unique autograph combinations here as well as two nice original paintings by Space artist Chris Calle. One of the highlights is an Alan Bean Autograph Manuscript Signed describing, in three full pages, his experience with the Apollo 12 mission.
The other collection comprises thirty-three lots of awesome autograph material from the collection of Dr. Bruce Wayne Overton. Over the years, Dr. Overton has patiently assembled an amazing Space autograph collection containing items that collectors don’t often get to see and bid on.
Also in this collection are rare and desirable photos signed by all members of NASA Astronaut Groups One (The Mercury Seven), Two (The “New Nine”) (originally from Jim McDivitt’s collection), and Three, as well as several really choice Gemini and Apollo crew-signed photos.
