"Out of This World" Auction to be Held by Heritage! Air & Space Exploration Memorabilia from Aldrin, Garino, Lindbergh, Earhart and Others to be Offered
News-Antique.com - Sep 03,2007 - DALLAS, TEXAS: Heritage Auction Galleries, one of the largest auction houses on Earth, sets its sights somewhat higher in their upcoming Air & Space Exploration Signature Auction, to be held on September 20, 2007, in Dallas, Texas, featuring personal memorabilia from such legendary figures as Buzz Aldrin, Orville Wright and Charles Lindbergh.
"This has been called a truly 'out of this world' auction," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana auctions for Heritage, "and I think that's an apt description. The aviation material relates to some of the greatest pioneers of this exciting field, such as Orville Wright, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Doolittle. Much of the space-related material has been space-flown; some of it has actually traveled to the surface of the Moon! Best of all, most of the material comes with impeccable provenance, something that's quite rare in this exciting field."
"We're pleased to offer material from the personal collection of legendary astronaut and true American hero, Buzz Aldrin," Slater said. "None of the material presented here has been offered for sale before, including the handwritten notes and Scriptures Aldrin took with him on the historic Apollo 11 flight. Aldrin intended to take communion on the lunar surface, and broadcast a prayer and a Scripture reading from John 15:5 back to Earth. Due to a current lawsuit brought against NASA by noted atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair regarding a similar reading on the Apollo 8 mission, Aldrin was asked not to broadcast these passages. He did, however, conduct his own communion service privately, and finally read a passage from the Book of Psalms to the world the night before splashing down in the Pacific. Both scriptural verses, as well as Aldrin's personal prayer, are included on this card, making it an important piece of American history. In addition, there are a number of important artifacts from Aldrin's personal collection of moon-flown and landed material, such as his personal slide rule, a Texas state flag, and a section of his Apollo 11 descent monitoring chart, being offered as well."
"As important as the men who risked their lives exploring outer space were the men who made it possible for them to get there," said Slater. "One of those men is astronaut trainer Joe Garino, who served as Physical Condition Supervisor for NASA and worked with members of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo crews. It was Garino's job to ensure that these men were in top condition to meet the grueling physical challenges ahead of them."
"Due to his close relationship with these astronauts, Garino was given a number of personal souvenirs, many of which are being offered in our upcoming auction," Slater said. "Chief among them is a small American flag Neil Armstrong carried with him during his historic moonwalk, and which he presented to Garino upon his return to Earth. The flag has been affixed to a wooden shield plaque, complete with an authentic Apollo XI mission patch and an engraved brass plate identifying the items. Additionally, collectors will
