7. One More for the Road - Apollo 11 Memories

I have had a number of people contact me since I set up my art exhibition and presentation called APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY. (Note: Although the show is now over, the artwork is still available to view and purchase on my website.) Most of those who have sought me out have brought me fascinating tales of their involvement in the space program or what they were doing on the evening of July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. While many have expressed wishes that their father had taken a photograph of their family around the TV set as mine had (seen here), apparently very few actually did.

One exception was my friend and fellow Murrysville artist Allen Maloney and his wife Pat who took this remarkable photograph (click on image to enlarge) of their young daughter, Patty, born on December 1, 1968 --just a couple of weeks before Apollo 8 first went into orbit around the moon. She is reaching towards the astronaut just as he is placing his foot on the lunar soil. I am told that while Neil made have made his important step that evening, Patty's first step came a little later. Many thanks to Allen and Pat Maloney for sharing this unique image with me. These are precious pictures that should be preserved for future generations as they can never be re-created.