Ed White: The first American to walk in space 50 years ago

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50 years ago today, Edward H. White was the first American to walk in space on the Gemini IV mission. Even 50 years later, the images of White's space walk captured by Jim McDivitt are among the most compelling of the space race.

This photo signed by Ed White to "Warren" was originally from the collection of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Warren Spahn. Apparently, Spahn was a follower of the space race and a bit of an autograph collector himself. He met astronauts on occasion and his collection contained a number of gems, including baseballs signed by the Mercury 7, the Gemini IV crew and more. 

ed white signed photo to warren spahn

Ken Mattingly signed white space suit portrait

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Here is a clean and choice Ken Mattingly signed white space suit portrait. Often Mattingly signatures are rushed and can be quite messy. Really nice TK Mattingly signatures are getting harder to find as they land in collections and stay there.  Also be aware that there are a LOT of Mattingly fakes ranging from obvious to highly deceptive.

Ken Mattingly signed white space suit portrait

Ken Mattingly signed white space suit portrait

RR Auction Spring 2015 Space Auction Ends Thursday April 23

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Signed Apollo 1 crew lithograph from RR Auction Spring 2015 Space Auction

Another strong offering from RR Auction on what has become the premier space memorabilia auction. Well over 300 lots of top notch flown items, memorabilia and autographed material. As the space autograph authenticator for RR, it is a pleasure to get to review the goodies!

I was interested in adding one item in particular to my collection… regrettably, I was bumped out of the running early!

 

New Gene Cernan Autopen pattern identified

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I have identified a previously unpublished Gene Cernan Autopen pattern. Unlike all other previously identified Cernan Autopens that have a standard "C," this one has the C swooping under the entire last name.

It always amazes me how we can still find unpublished patterns decades after they were put into circulation!

Previously unpublished Gene Cernan Autopen pattern identified in March 2015.

Previously unpublished Gene Cernan Autopen pattern identified in March 2015.

Donn Eisele, Apollo 7, signed photo

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Donn Eisele (1930 - 1987) had one spaceflight -- the command module pilot on Apollo 7. Like some of the earlier crews, there was not a wide variety of photographs available and Eisele never had a formal white space suit portrait. So, collectors seeking signed photos typically settle for the signed business suit pose.

Eisele's earlier signatures tend to be small and neat, while his later signatures are often large, loose and wild.

Donn Eisele signed business suit portrait

Donn Eisele signed business suit portrait

Expect to pay $200 and up for an Eisele personalized photo, and significantly more for an un-personalized example. On occasion, training poses of Eisele in his space suit come to market and they can fetch a steep premium depending on the quality of the pose. For collectors on a budget, Donn Eisele signed checks are in abundance and can be purchased for around $25 on eBay and elsewhere.

Eisele autopens are common, and obviously, forgeries exist; however, in my experience I have not encountered a high number of Eisele forgeries.