“The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. From the moment photography was introduced in 1839, photographers dreamt about harnessing the potential of photography together with the telescope. While astronomers had earlier mapped many of the moon’s visible features through the telescope, the first photographs revealing the lunar landscape were successfully achieved by the 1850s. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th, numerous photographers created uncannily beautiful lunar pictures that captured the public imagination. By the Light of the Silvery Moon: A Century of Lunar Photographs presents some 50 works, from the 19th century to the “space-age” 1960s, that merged art with science and transformed the way that we envision and comprehend the cosmos.” — National Gallery of Art
Warren de la Rue. Full Moon, 1858–1859. Stereoscopic glass transparency, printed 1862. Overall: 8.3 x 17.2 cm (3 1/4 x 6 3/4 in.). Image (each): 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.) diameter. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Lewis M. Rutherfurd. View of the Moon, 1860. Stereoscopic albumen print. Image/sheet: 7.9 x 15 cm (3 1/8 x 5 7/8 in.), mount: 8.8 x 17.6 cm (3 7/16 x 6 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Lewis M. Rutherfurd. Full Moon, 1864. Stereoscopic albumen print. Image/sheet: 7.5 x 14.6 cm (2 15/16 x 5 3/4 in.), mount: 8.5 x 17.5 cm (3 3/8 x 6 7/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
John Payson Soule. Full Moon, 1863. Stereoscopic albumen print. Image/sheet: 7.6 x 15.3 cm (3 x 6 in.), mount: 8.2 x 17.3 cm (3 1/4 x 6 13/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Henry Draper. Full Moon, 1860. Stereoscopic albumen prints. Image/sheet: 7.9 x 14.8 cm (3 1/8 x 5 13/16 in.), mount: 8.8 x 17.8 cm (3 7/16 x 7 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Keystone View Company. The Full Moon. Yerkes Observatory., after 1897. Stereoscopic albumen prints. Image/sheet: 7.7 x 15.2 cm (3 1/16 x 6 in.), mount: 8.8 x 17.8 cm (3 7/16 x 7 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Loewy et Puiseux. Photographie Lunaire Rayonnement de Tycho – Phase Croissante, 1899. Photogravure. Image: 57.15 x 46.67 cm (22 1/2 x 18 3/8 in.), sheet: 79.53 x 60.01 cm (31 5/16 x 23 5/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons’ Permanent Fund
Charles le Morvan. Carte photographique de la lune, planche XIII.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XIII.A), October 23, 1902. Photogravure, printed 1914. Image: 31.1 x 25.5 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/16 in.), plate: 38.9 x 29.5 cm (15 5/16 x 11 5/8 in.), sheet: 49 x 37.9 cm (19 5/16 x 14 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund
Charles le Morvan. Carte photographique de la lune, planche XXIII.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XXIII.A), August 27, 1902. Photogravure, printed 1914. Image: 31.1 x 25.5 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/16 in.), plate: 38.9 x 29.5 cm (15 5/16 x 11 5/8 in.), sheet: 49 x 37.9 cm (19 5/16 x 14 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund
Charles le Morvan. Carte photographique de la lune, planche XXIV.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XXIV.A), December 26, 1907. Photogravure, printed 1914. Image: 31.1 x 25.5 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/16 in.), plate: 38.9 x 29.5 cm (15 5/16 x 11 5/8 in.), sheet: 49 x 37.9 cm (19 5/16 x 14 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Ranger IX, A-16, 1965. Gelatin silver print. Image: 19 x 19.5 cm (7 1/2 x 7 11/16 in.), sheet: 35 x 27.3 cm (13 3/4 x 10 3/4 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lunar Orbiter, Medium Resolution, LOIV M-082, 1967. Gelatin silver print, printed June 13, 1967. Image: 49.5 x 43 cm (19 1/2 x 16 15/16 in.), sheet: 56 x 45.4 cm (22 1/16 x 17 7/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lunar Orbiter, Medium Resolution, LOIV M-187, 1967. Gelatin silver print. Image: 32 x 45 cm (12 5/8 x 17 11/16 in.), sheet: 53.5 x 45 cm (21 1/16 x 17 11/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Surface of the Moon, July 1969. Stereoscopic glass transparency slide. Plate (each): 2.4 x 2.7 cm (15/16 x 1 1/16 in.), mount: 4 x 10.1 x 0.3 cm (1 9/16 x 4 x 1/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Earthrise across Mare Smythii, July 16–24, 1969. Chromogenic print. Image: 18.1 x 18.1 cm (7 1/8 x 7 1/8 in.), sheet: 20 x 25.3 cm (7 7/8 x 9 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Neil Armstrong, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Buzz Aldrin Poses with Flag, July 20, 1969. Chromogenic print. Image: 18.2 x 18.2 cm (7 3/16 x 7 3/16 in.), sheet: 25.2 x 20.4 cm (9 15/16 x 8 1/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin Deploy Flag on the Moon, July 20, 1969. Chromogenic print. Image: 18.3 x 24 cm (7 3/16 x 9 7/16 in.), sheet: 20 x 25.2 cm (7 7/8 x 9 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Buzz Aldrin’s Footprint, July 20, 1969. Gelatin silver print. Image: 19 x 24 cm (7 1/2 x 9 7/16 in.), sheet: 20.2 x 25.3 cm (7 15/16 x 9 15/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
William Paul Taub, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Celebration after Apollo 11 made flawless splashdown, July 24, 1969. Gelatin silver print. Image/sheet: 17.4 x 24.3 cm (6 7/8 x 9 9/16 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
By the Light of the Silvery Moon is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington. The exhibition is curated by Diane Waggoner, curator of 19th-century photographs.
Images courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.
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