"The Conquest of Space" original lithograph and stamps commemorating man's first step on the moon, Paul Calle

“The Conquest of Space” is a lithograph signed by Paul Calle, commemorating the 10th anniversary of man’s first step on the moon. It is accompanied by all the official postage stamps issued on the subject by the United States Postal Service.

The present edition has been printed in 15,000 copies. It is accompanied by its certificate of origin on the reverse.

Metal frame.

Size : 46 x 54 cm

Excellent condition.

Artist Paul Calle ( March 3, 1928 – December 30, 2010) was an American best known for his postage stamps, 40 of which were issued by the United States Postal Service. The only artist hired by NASA to provide close-up coverage of the Apollo 11 astronauts, Calle designed the 10-cent stamp commemorating the first manned lunar landing; it depicts an astronaut walking on the Moon from the lunar module, with the Earth visible above the lunar horizon.

In 1962, Calle was among the first group selected to participate in NASA’s art program. He contributed to a pair of complementary five-cent stamps issued in 1967 as part of the Accomplishments in Space commemorative issue, the stamp on the right showing the Gemini 4 space capsule with the Earth’s horizon in the background, while the stamp on the left shows astronaut Ed White performing the first American spacewalk.

Its best-known stamp was designed to mark the first human landing on the Moon and was issued in September 1969, showing an astronaut walking on the Moon’s surface. The Apollo 11 crew carried with them a mint proof of Calle’s lunar landing stamp, which was signed by the astronauts during the mission.The artist had exclusive access to be with the astronauts on July 16, 1969, as they made their final preparations for the Apollo 11 mission.The sketches he made from his experiences that day have been exhibited at the National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art.