May 2021 Auction Ends Thursday, May 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2021
Great lot of nine NASA books personally owned by Gus Grissom, including two with hand-edits by the Apollo 1 astronaut. The star of the collection is the transcription of the Gemini 4 crew debriefing, revealing the conversation between Ed White and James McDivitt aboard the USS Wasp recovery ship. Grissom has either underlined or written notes on most of the 280 pages, commenting on what White and McDivitt had to say about the mission. A running commentary is the poor, malfunctioning equipment that the astronauts received, with Grissom giving symbolic encouragement to McDivitt's complaints by writing ''Kick his ass!!'', ''Who suited these guys!'' and ''Another piece of crap'' along the margins. Another comical section is Grissom noting a discrepancy in White's comments about the quality of the lighting in the spacecraft, writing ''Make up your mind.'' He also takes McDivitt to task for complaining about something, writing ''No ones fault but yours'', and questions White's decision to do something ''even if it's wrong?'' Much more interesting content including a note early on where Grissom writes, ''Did they have a moon on dark side?''
Another book has Grissom's handwritten math equations, appearing on the back cover of a 1959 U.S. House report entitled ''The Next Ten Years in Space 1959-1969''. Other items include some handwritten notes (not known if written by Grissom) on a sheet of Project Mercury stationery; the ''Project Mercury Candidate Evaluation Program'' book, with the editor's personal inscription to Grissom; the ''Project Mercury Recovery Handbook''; the ''Mercury Project Summary''; ''Apollo Operations Handbook''; ''Project Gemini A Chronology''; ''Flight Crew Egress Procedures''; and ''Preliminary Memorandum for Those Concerned'' of the ''MA-6 Pilot's Debriefing''. Books vary in size, from handbooks to large reports. Overall in very good condition. With Steve Zarelli Space Authentication COAs for the two items hand-edited by Gus Grissom. All books originate from the Grissom estate, and lot is accompanied by an LOA from Mark Grissom.
Gus Grissom Personally Owned Lot of 9 NASA Books Including Grissom's Heavily Edited Gemini 4 Debriefing Report: ''Kick his ass!!'' and ''Did they have a moon on dark side?'' -- With Zarelli COAs
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