U.S. 50 Star Apollo 14 Flag - EVA Moon Flag 1971.

Apollo 14 - EVA Moon Flag displayed on Lunar surface and returned to Earth 1971.
Apollo 14 - 50 Star, EVA Moon Flag, one of four known flags exposed on the lunar surface and subsequently returned to Earth. The dimensions of this flag are 12" X 18", which is larger than the 4" X 6" flags in the Official Flight Kits (OFK), that were flown aboard both the Apollo Command and Lunar Modules. This and one other flag currently in a private collection were reportedly taken out of the LM by Alan Shepard, the second human and the first American in Space, It can be said the two flags which Alan Shepard took EVA were the largest.

Alan Shepard took this flag to the moon at the request of Brad Washburn, Director of the Museum of Science in Boston, who later conveyed it to Jack Naylor, who subsequently consigned it to auction via Guernsey Auctions in NYC in the autumn of 2007 where it was acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection .

There were numerous flags carried in in the OFK representing the member states of the UN, the US states. All of these flags measured 4" X 6" and similar flags were in the OFKs on each of the Apollo missions. These flags were subsequently distributed upon their return to earth.

With the exception of the primary mission flag, a 2.5' X 4' 50-Star U.S. designed to be planted on the surface of the moon, the size of all the flags carried in OFKs was approximately 4" X 6." Thus, the two Shepard flags, which he carried in his Personal Preference Kit (PPK), are the largest known EVA flags returned to Earth.

More research could potentially yield more flags. It is known from the official Apollo 14 Press Kit, that there were also "two large" U.S. flags carried on the mission, one each for the House and Senate.

Thus, this Apollo 14 flag, which Alan Shepard took for his friend to the moon in January 1971 and post-marked perhaps with the tires of the lunar Mobile Equipment Transporter, is one of the only flags to be displayed on the surface of the moon and subsequently returned to earth. A unique and truly celestial flag.


Exhibition History:
The Naylor Collection
Boston, MA

University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012


Provenance:
• This flag was acquired through purchase by Bradford Washington, Director of the Museum of Science, of Boston, MA, in 1971.
• Conveyed to Capt. Alan Sheppard who transported the flag to the Moon's surface in the Lunar Module Antares during the Apollo 14 Mission, 1971.
• It was re-conveyed to Bradford Washington after the mission, 1971.
• It was conveyed to Jack Naylor of Boston, MA, who displayed it in his private collection, 1992.
• Sold via Guernsey's Auctions of New York City, to the Zaricor Flag Collection in 2007.


Sources:

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Joe Garino Collection of Space Memorabilia to be Auctioned by Heritage! Press Release, August 9, 2007, Heritage Auction Galleries, 7 November 2011, from:
http://historical.ha.com/c/press-release.zx?releaseId=1394

Stars, stripes and space: NASA and the 50 star American flag, collectSPACE.com, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-070410a.html

Frohman , David, An Overview of Flown Apollo Flags, Space Relics, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.spacerelics.com/inventory/essay/flags.html

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and David Frohman, President of Peachstate Historical Consulting, Inc., meet in Washington, D.C. to help pioneer new flight-certification standards for space artifacts, Space Relics, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.spacerelics.com/press32.html

FLOWN IN SPACE, Astronaut Central, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.astronautcentral.com/SINGLES/Flown.html

Leger , Donna L. , 7/20/2011 Interest in space memorabilia soars as shuttle era ends, USA Today, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2011-07-20-space-shuttle-collectibles_n.htm

Platoff, Anne M., Where No Flag Has Gone Before: Political and Technical Aspects of Placing a Flag on the Moon, NASA Contractor Report 188251, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 7 November 2011, from:
http://next.nasa.gov/alsj/alsj-usflag.html

Platoff, Anne M. , Flags in Space: Symbols of NASA and Use of Flags in the Manned Space Program." Presented to the North American Vexillological Association, NAVA 36 (Denver, CO, October 2002), Publication pending in The Flag Bulletin; 7 November, 2011, from:
http://aplatoff.home.mindspring.com/~aplatoff/space/

Apollo 14, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_14

Apollo program, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

Space Race, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shepard

Edgar Dean Mitchell, D.Sc., Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Mitchell

Apollo MET , Encyclopedia Astronautica, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/apolomet.htm

Henry Bradford Washburn, Jr., Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Washburn

Jack Naylor. Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Naylor

JACK NAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION GOES UP FOR AUCTION AT GUERNSEY'S ON OCTOBER 18-21, E-Photo Newsletter Issue 133 8/29/2007, I Photo Central, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.iphotocentral.com/news/article_view.php/142/133/771

Extra-vehicular activity (EVA), Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra-vehicular_activity

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
Museum of Science in Boston
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Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	12
Length of Fly	18

Union/Canton
Width of Union/Canton	6.25
Length of Union/Canton	7.5

Stars
Comments on Star Measurements	6-5-6-5-6-5-6-5-6
Size of Stars	0.25

Stripes
Width of 1st Stripe	0.875
Width of 3rd Stripe	0.875
Width of 8th Stripe	0.875
Width of Last Stripe	1
Size of Hoist	0

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	18
Frame Length	26

Stars
Number of Stars	50
How are the stars embeded?	Printed
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Number of Stripes	13
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	Red
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Stitching
Stitching	Machine

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Flag is mounted and framed

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	Letter Shebard to Washburn ZFC2595 - Letter Washburn to Naylor
Research Documents

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Damage	Used once, like new.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1971

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

University of California - Santa Cruz Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit Santa Cruz, CA 7 June 2012 Santa Cruz, CA, June 7, 2012: The Zaricor Flag Collection exhibited 34 flags and artifacts at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus for the Board of Councilors Meeting. U.S. 50 Star Apollo 14 Flag First Flag to Moon and Return to Earth Date: 1971 Media: Printed rayon, paper & cardboard. Comment: This 50 Star United States Flag is one of only two flags placed on the lunar surface and returned to Earth. Astronaut Captain Alan Shepard, USN took the flag to the lunar surface in the Apollo 14 Lunar Module, during the third successful lunar landing, at the request of his friend, Mr. Brad Washburn, Director of the Museum of Science in Boston, MA. Director Washburn eschewed the small U.S. flags traditionally carried in the Apollo missions Official Flight Kits, and wanted to acquire a large Moon flown U.S. flag for his museum. He provided two large, private purchase, United States flags to Capt. Shepard, carried these, along with a Wilson six-iron golf club head intended for some lunar golf, in his Personal Preference Kit. During one of the periods of Extra Vehicular Activity, he was able to display this flag on the surface of the Moon, and for posterity, "post-mark" the flag from the Moon by creasing it with the Apollo 14 Mobile Equipment Transporter (MET) tires, which created the undulations seen on the flag. Thus, this and the 2nd Apollo 14 flag, which Alan Shepard took for his friend to the Moon in January 1971 and post-marked this flag with the treads of the lunar MET, are the only flags to be displayed on the surface of the moon and then returned to earth. This is a truly celestial flag from one of the greatest astronauts of the time. Provenance: Acquired in 2007 by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC2521), from The Naylor Collection, who acquired it from Brad Washburn who had provided it to Alan Shepard; via Guernsey's Auctions, New York, New York. www.FlagCollection.com