Author Topic: Aerial 4x5 negatives taken during Apollo 11 of Titusville, Florida (Read 4830 times)

apollo16uvc · « **on:** 10/25/2021 10:09 pm »

Recently received 10 aerial large format 4x5 negatives taken of Titusville around the time of Apollo 11 from an auction. Unfortunately the photographer is unknown.

Master scans of original negatives performed at 160Mp, downscaled here to 20Mp for friendliness to the WorldWideWeb.

I would be very interested to know the approximate times when these photos were taken. Several are blurry from camera shake but the ones that are sharp have almost infinite resolution.

AS_501 · « **Reply #1 on:** 10/26/2021 01:35 am »

Judging by the shadows cast by the trees and various structures, I would guess shortly before launch (9:32 am DST). Also, notice that people seem to have moved into best positions to view the launch, i.e., they are not wandering around hours before launch.

apollo16uvc · « **Reply #2 on:** 11/22/2021 08:23 pm »

40 Megapixel versions of all 10 negatives have been uploaded to Flickr after Patreon early access has transpired.

Maybe the original photographer can be found by the writing on the sleeve.

You can easily click on the Flickr photos to magnify them. perhaps you are able to spot yourself?

Enjoy!

apollo16uvc · « **Reply #3 on:** 11/22/2021 08:26 pm »

Quote from: AS_501 on 10/26/2021 01:35 am

Judging by the shadows cast by the trees and various structures, I would guess shortly before launch (9:32 am DST). Also, notice that people seem to have moved into best positions to view the launch, i.e., they are not wandering around hours before launch.

Thanks AS_501. A real pity the photographer has not photographed the launch itself, that would have been stunning from the air in this detail.

But perhaps we already got plenty of those, and a bird's eye few of pedestrians is awesome to see too for once.

whitelancer64 · « **Reply #4 on:** 11/22/2021 08:47 pm »

A quick google search (Bohannon photographer Florida) reveals a few photographers with the last name Bohannon that live in or were born in Florida. It is not a very common surname. If you have not already done so, reaching out to some of them could help to discover the original photographer. It is entirely possible that a parent or grandparent took the pictures as well.

Citabria · « **Reply #5 on:** 11/24/2021 03:08 pm »

Looks like a Cessna wing flap in the 3rd photo, top right.

sterk03 · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/10/2022 07:12 pm »

I am very interesetd in the 3rd photo looking east to west of the road leading to the bridge from titusville to the launch area. I zoomed in as much as I could and abeam the words cable crossing is where I was sitting to watch the Apollo liftoff. I have been searching since the 50th anniversary for any photos or video that might have me and my family on it. This is the closest I have gotten. I have posted on collectSpace which is still active for space places and just learned of these photos on the Nasa spaceflight.com I just joined as I never searched over on this site before, not sure why not but I'm here now. If anyone has any further access to video or photos or anyone native to the area when it launched I would appreciate chatting as it is very hard getting any info from back then...it's like it's all top secret. Like this photo of the highway with cars parked everywhere it is only the second phto I have seen even close to this area, its like its Top Secret of something. No historical societies or museums have anything either...can't figure it out. Everyone has the famous JC Penney picture but that's it. I would like to chat if anyone is online who was there in this are in 1969, I just can't believe no one else in this are that day have any interests in that historical day! Someone who wasw there has to have a photo of my area and maybe even my family, but so far I have not been able to locate anyone else who was on this strip of road boxed in for hours.... All the media that is available even facebook and no one else there is chatting?

?
Ok I will take any info or photographers who were there. I am trying to see if Flikr has any larger prints of these special aeriel photos. Thanks Sterk

sterk03 · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/10/2022 07:25 pm »

This billboard shows our position its th cable crossing sign, some youngster Iwould love to chat with him now got up on op for a great view. Never thought of back then to get his name an address and stay in contact 50 years later.
I would think if he is still alive he would be interested just like me to find out who was there and who had pictures of him up there?

The next picture is a lucky one as we were the only bus allowed to go that close to the Saturn V less then 18 hours till liftoff to the moon! Amazing!

Ok someone has to be out there from this same area with some photo's.

Sterk03

Elvis in Space · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/10/2022 07:34 pm »

Curious to know what type of film it is? Might be printed in the frame margins on the negatives. It's almost got to be Kodak Tri-X.

sterk03 · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/20/2022 12:03 am »

apollo16uvc

Not sure if your still with this subject or post I just recently joined to track down my position during the launch of Apollo11
during 1969. I was one of the lucky ones to actually be there and witness history. I was one of the very few to actually get very close to the actual rocket going to the moon less then 24 hours prior to liftoff. I am very interested in one of the pictures you posted about the viewing area for the launch. I am in this 3rd picture you have posted, I have been looking for this since 2019 and covid has slowed down the hint and still waiting for the National Archives to open back up as I might finally find some movie clips that show my family during the prelaunch wait. I might be able to assist with your what time were these pictures taken. When I get some time I might be able to cross reference some of my photos with this 3rd photo as position of people and cars etc. What I need from you I saw your posts on Flickr and trying to see where Patron and Dutchsteammachine is....I see this name for these pictures on Patron and would like to get a hold of who ever it is as he or you mention there are 160 mb photos I thought on Patron but all I have located are 80MB files. These do not have enough detail to identify my family beside a truck I have positively identified where we were sitting .Any information
you or anyone seeing this is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Sterk03

as11-4x5-06-20Mp.png (15607.56 kB, 5000x3980 -

sterk03 · « **Reply #10 on:** 11/28/2022 02:05 am »

To Apollo16uvc are you still on this web site. I re-read all the info and you already have the approximate time as I can see the area my family is sitting and by the light its between 8:30-9:30, if you could enlarge the cable crossing and see a person on top of the billboard then you are within an hour or less of the launch.

My question I am confused who had these photos first you or the Patreon fellow who published them in Patreon?

I have been trying to get the original 160MB picture so I can try and defrag defuzz it to get a better look at my family area where we were sitting. Still chasing the film that the chopper recorded passing us as I took the picture.

If your still on this site could you post whether yo have the 160MB size and if any more info on the Bohannon
photographer. Thanks Sterk03

edzieba · « **Reply #11 on:** 11/28/2022 08:08 am »

Quote from: Elvis in Space on 02/10/2022 07:34 pm

Curious to know what type of film it is? Might be printed in the frame margins on the negatives. It's almost got to be Kodak Tri-X.

Sheet film rarely has details printed in the margins. However, the notch-code (3 close-spaced 'V's) is visible, which indicates this could be Tri-X Panchromatic Professional (Kodak 4164 or 6143) or Ansco Commercial Orthochromatic.