Lot 298, the [URL=http://www.rrauction.com/preview_itemdetail.cfm?IN=289]Lawrence McGlynn Lunar Flown Bible Collection and Archive[/URL], is a collection that is as unique as it is historic. When humanity first left the Earth's cradle, embarking upon the historic race for the moon and the stars at the end of the last century's cold war, a select few of the brave Apollo explorers ascended into the heavens carrying with them not just the hopes and dreams of a nation, but also the sacred and immortal words of all 1,245 pages of the King James Bible.
Carried aboard the historic flights of Apollo 12, 13, and 14, these sacred texts bear witness to the enduring and pivotal role of faith and spirituality in the human experience. RRAuction is pleased to announce that it will be offering the McGlynn Lunar Bible Collection as part of its globally popular Space and Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction. The auction is scheduled to take place from November 14th to November 21st, 2013 online at [URL=http://www.rrauction.com]www.rrauction.com[/URL].
"Flown in the form of microfilm bibles – a form chosen for its cutting edge technology of the day over 40 years ago, and for its compact size and weight – this amazing and massive bible collection represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own the world's most complete and one-of-a-kind sets of flown lunar bibles," said Bobby Livingston, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for RRAuction. "The rarity and uniqueness, not to mention the value, of this collection can not be overstated."
Highlights of the impressive McGlynn Lunar Bible Collection include the following: [list][*]The only complete set of lunar orbit and surface flown, 1.5 inch square microfilm bibles from Apollo flights 12, 13 and 14 – each including all 1,245 pages of the King James bible.
[*]The only bible ever flown to the Moon on Apollo 12. This bible is stored in a custom, hand-crafted housing made of nearly 12 troy ounces of solid 22K gold, and inset with a large ruby and pearls.
[*]A flown Apollo 13 bible affixed to its original, crew signed NASA stationary certificate, and originating from one of the founding members and second-in-rank of the Apollo Prayer League.
[*]An Apollo 14 lunar surface flown bible which actually flew to the moon twice – first aboard Apollo 13, but did not land on the moon due to a near-catastrophic explosion. This bible is stored in a custom, hand-crafted housing made of 6.6 ounces of 22K red gold, and inset with rubies and pearls.
[*]The only microfilm "Honor Role" ever flown to the moon, which contains the names of the individuals and organizations that made the bibles possible – including such luminaries as former President George Herbert Walker Bush and former Secretary of State James Baker.
[*]The flown, lunar surface PPK (or "personal preference kit") beta-cloth bag of lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell, in which he carried the twice flown bible to the Frau Mauro highlands of the Moon.
[*]It is also important to note that the Apollo 14 bible originates from the family of Apollo 1 astronaut Edward H. White II, whose tragic and untimely death, along with his fellow Apollo 1 crew members Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, inspired the creation of the Apollo Prayer league and the global efforts to send the bible to the moon.
[*]An unprecedented and impressive, three volumes of research and original provenance documentation on the history, lineage and authenticity of both the bibles and the Apollo Prayer League.[/list] "I have spent my adult life researching and assembling this complete collection of lunar flown bibles," said Lawrence McGlynn, an established space artifact collector, historian, and appraiser, and the private consignor of this historically significant collection. "With only one flown microfilm Apollo Prayer League Honor Role, and only one flown complete King James Bible aboard the Apollo 12 mission, coupled with the PPK bag that flew a bible to the lunar surface, there is no other collection like it in the world."
RRAuction estimates the value of this collection at between $180,000 and $225,000. "Given its uniqueness and appeal to not only space artifact collectors, but also collectors of religious artifacts and manuscripts, our estimate might prove to be rather conservative," added Livingston.
To see this amazing lot, as well as to review the other 890+ aviation and space artifacts, manuscripts and autographs in this outstanding auction, please go to the RRAuction website at
rrauction.com. Or contact Bobby Livingston at bl@rrauction.com.