Neil Armstrong Signed Color Photograph to Fellow Astronaut Jack Swigert, Mentioning the Apollo 11 Mission

An extraordinary rarity – the first signed photograph from one astronaut to another that we have seen and a piece of Space history

Test pilot Neil Armstrong became an astronaut in 1962. He was assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission in 1965, and was launched into space on March 16, 1966. Armstrong performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. He was next chosen as spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission. Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the Moon and first to step on its surface. Two statements of Armstrong’s came to embody that accomplishment: “The Eagle has landed;” which announced the Lunar Module’s landing on the Moon’s surface; and “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” spoken as his foot first touched the Moon. These are two of the most famous statements made by any American of any generation.

Jack Swigert was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 7 mission and then again for the historic Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. In this capacity he accompanied Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and others on the Sierra Blanca geology trip, which was undertaken to practice gathering rock specimens on the Moon. Swigert was next assigned to the Apollo 13 backup crew and subsequently called upon to replace prime crewman Thomas K. Mattingly as command module pilot. (The substitution was announced 72 hours prior to launch of the mission following Mattingly’s exposure to the German measles.) Apollo 13, which flew from April 11-17, 1970, was devastated by an explosion in the command module, which was Swigert’s ship, but the astronauts and Mission Control successfully worked together to nurse the ship back to Earth and bring the astronauts safely home. Swigert later resigned from NASA to make a run at politics. He successfully won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Colorado in 1982. He died, however, before he could take office.

The official NASA color glossy 8×10 photograph of Armstrong in a suit and tie, taken in 1964 before he had flown in space, signed and inscribed to Swigert, “To Jack—With thanks for all your contributions as a member of the Apollo 11 team –Neil Armstrong”. The verso bears purple NASA caption text and “Kodak Paper” watermarks. This is a very attractive and uncommon signed photograph. It is accompanied by a glossy photograph of  Swigert and another Apollo 11 support person, Bill Pogue, discussing a rock sample during the Sierra Blanca geology trip. This photograph was originated with Swigert’s sister, who certified that it was one of Swigert’s possessions.

This is an extreme rarity – the first signed photograph from one astronaut to another that we have seen. That it is signed by Neil Armstrong is simply extraordinary.