PBA Galleries

Original 11x14” color photograph of Astronaut Eugene Cernan walking on the Moon, during the Apollo XVII 1972 landing, inscribed on the 16x20” board mount to Prof. Richard (Dick) Bell in January 1976. 

Capt. Eugene A. Cernan (1934-) was the second  American to walk in space, one of two men to go to the Moon twice and the last man to leave his footsteps on the Moon.  Cernan was the commander of Apollo XVII as pictured in this photograph, the last landing on the Moon by an American. The photograph is titled in ink on the top in Cernan’s hand, “The Day Space Ships “America” & “Challenger” Arrived At The Moon…Apollo XVII 11, Dec 72”. Below the photograph is the inscription “To (Prof!) Dick & Betty Bell- With My Sincere Thanks To You For Helping Make This Moment Possible- Best Wishes To You Both,  Gene Cernan Jan 76”. Professor Richard Bell (1918-2010) was a CalTech graduate, and a distinguished professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California and a major contributor  to the advancement of aviation astrodynamics and aerospace exploration and a developer of the Apollo Mooncraft.  Bell was not only Cernan’s guiding spirit and teacher, but he was the same to a number of other astronauts, who studied under him. A wonderful association piece.