Exhibit has liftoff

Forty years ago this week, humans first walked on the moon. Marking the significant event, Aviation Arts Gallery will host a nine-day exhibit celebrating the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 moon landings. The exhibit will be on display at the gallery, 533 S. Coast Hwy., through July 24.

The exhibit, extended from its original four-day duration, will showcase rare and authentic memorabilia from the moon landings including books, letters, photographs, first day cover postal envelopes, and artwork signed by the Apollo astronauts.

The gallery has been owned by Elaine Williams since 1985 and is operated along with her two associates, husband Ben Williams and Don Sheil. An aviation and space memorabilia collector for 30 years, Ben Williams befriended frequent gallery visitor Lin Holland, who had an interesting connection to space travel. His second cousin and close friend of his father’s was Carl J. Seiberlich, commanding officer of the USS Hornet, Apollo’s recovery ship. After Holland’s father died in 1986, he made a unique discovery.

“I found all this memorabilia in his office at home,” Holland said. “I didn’t even know he had this stuff, so when I found it I was just amazed.”

Rare items such as original Navy photographs, patches and buttons that were given to the astronauts and signed commemorative Apollo recovery letters were found among the memorabilia. Bringing the memorabilia to his friends’ gallery seemed like a perfect idea.

“I just put two and two together. It was the 40th anniversary and they had the perfect place for it.”

One of the highlights of the exhibit are the signed first day cover postal envelopes. These covers are historic envelopes with special stamps issued by the U.S. Post Office postmarked with the actual date of the event. Because each astronaut was only issued a limited number of covers, they are very rare and valuable.

And having them signed by Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin makes them even more significant, said Ben Williams.

“The three astronauts of Apollo 11 all made an agreement in 1972 that they would not sign any more philatelic materials — the first day covers — and I happen to have one of Buzz Aldrin’s,” Williams said

Navy photographs of the splashdown and recovery will be another focus of attention at the exhibit, Holland said.

“They may be the only known pictures on exhibit taken by the private crew, not the news media or press,” said Holland.

While longtime aviation and space fans are encouraged to visit the exhibit, the invitation is also extended to children, Ben Williams said.

“A lot of times the schools don’t cover as much as they should,” he said. “I mean could you imagine having an autograph of Christopher Columbus, first man to reach America, that we know of? Well, we’ve got signatures here of men that have gone to a different sphere in space.”

The exhibit hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (949) 494-4303.