posted 05-13-2011 06:01 AM               

I was not intending to sell it but could do with the cash so if I got a decent offer I probably would do. It is one of the finest Armstrong autographs I have seen! Apparently the previous seller showed it to Christies auction house and a few others, all said it would fetch between $3500-$4000 at auction due to the fact it is signed on a rare 10x8 unseen/unreleased photograph and that the autograph is such a clear and bold one with the added 'Apollo 11' which Armstrong seldom signed! Though I do believe this figure is somewhat inflated?! When I showed it to Scott Cornish he told me the signature was likely signed in 'India Ink' hence why it has not faded over the years like a lot of the Armstrong signed photos have done.

As for the history... the photo was taken by and also signed in pencil by AP photographer Ernest A. Kehr. It is dated 9/71. When Kehr died his photo studio was closed, boxes of photos and negatives were bagged for trash. The guy who I bought it from had a friend who worked for the company to clear the studio and take everything to the dump, he noticed a box full of photos, some signed and he knew his friend would like them. He gave the entire box to him for a few dollars!!! The box had lots of signed photos of movie stars, presidents and astronauts. He told me that Armstrong was the best in the box!

Message me if you are interested, thanks!

Lewis

More info on Kehr below -

Ernest Anthony Kehr (September 10, 1911 – November 13, 1986) was one of philately's most distinguished spokesmen. He became hobby news editor of the New York World-Telegramin 1935 and then stamp news editor of the New York Herald Tribune from 1939 until the newspaper closed in 1966. He continued as stamp columnist for Newsday (Long Island, NY) until his death.

Over a forty-year period, Kehr presented more than 2,000 radio and television programs promoting philately. He wrote several popular books of which The Romance of Stamp Collecting (1947) was a philatelic bestseller. In 1964 he founded the Philatelic Press Club (later known as the International Philatelic Press Club), and was chairman emeritus when he died.

"Ernie" frequently wrote on the current state of philately in the Collectors Club Philatelist. Kehr received numerous honors. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Collectors Club of New York and was awarded its Lichtenstein medal in 1974. He signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1975. He received the Luff Award in 1976 for Exceptional Contributions to Philately. In 1991, the APS established the Ernest A. Kehr award for excellence in the promotion of Youth Philately.

posted 05-13-2011 07:56 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by lew_roberts123:
boxes of photos and negatives were bagged for trash.

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This particular story has a happy ending (the recovery of at least one box of signed photos). But hearing about this kind of thing always makes me cringe, just thinking of the stuff that's been healed away to the dump when relatives of someone, or employees of a company, don't know the value (either monetary or historical) of documents and artifacts. Lottery-winning stay-at-home dad daydream #488 is to have paid contacts at every "We'll Haul Your Junk" company in the DC area, ready to call me if something great is just going to get thrown away.

By the way, if you e-mail me a photo, I can post it here if you like. I think we're all curious to see this unique photo, and it will save you the time of having to send it to lots of individuals.