The event was a celebration of human ingenuity by those who were there to witness it, hosted at the NeueHouse in Los Angeles.
It’s hard to quantify the contributions that space exploration has made to human development. Although its origins were essentially competitive, the United States space program ended up being a truly innovative program, providing the world with practical assets such as velcro and aircraft safety features, improved engine design, and more. But the aspirational element of space travel still intrigues us today. The idea that we can do it. And so, 50 years later we look back at the Apollo Space Program- 17 missions in total, a truly risky endeavor, and celebrate what is to come.
Norman Mailer’s MoonFire
These were just some of the ideas explored during an informative and entertaining conversion with NASA historian Christian Gelzer, Apollo-era photojournalist Lawrence Schiller, and TASCHEN editor Nine Weiner at a NeueHouse-hosted event in Los Angeles. TASCHEN took the occasion of the publication of its celebrated MoonFire, by Norman Mailer. Mailer’s writing style is quite unique, and the author documents the arrival on the moon and other key moments with stunning finesse.
Situated in NeueHouse’s comfortable and mid-century inspired theater, guests enjoyed cocktails and wine as they listened to Schiller, a collaborator with Mailer, explain the complexities of shooting the Apollo program, from getting his camera into space, and staging imagery for public consumption as well as offered some juicy intelligence surrounding Mailer’s one-of-a-kind personality. In those days, there was no photoshop, so a single shot could take up to a day to produce. It was a testament to the commitment to a program that was in no way easy.
After the conversation concluded, guests went to NeueHouse’s sun-dappled rooftop bar area for a private reception and a chance to preview six limited-edition fine art prints, including the legendary Earth Rise, printed on aluminum, signed by Buzz Aldrin.
Purchase Norman Mailer’s MoonFire, 50th Anniversary Edition from TASCHEN ($50.00)
