“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” These words, uttered by astronaut Neil Armstrong when he first stepped onto the moon 50 years ago, have become one of history’s most famous one-liners. An exhibition opening tomorrow at Eastman Museum, commemorates the passing of a half century since Armstrong and the Apollo 11 landed in space.

“The Moon and Photography,” the latest installation in the museum’s “A History of Photography” series, examines the intersecting histories of photography and space exploration. “A source of artistic inspiration, scientific inquiry, and popular fascination, the moon has long been an important subject of visual culture since before the invention of photography,” writes the museum in a statement. The items displayed, each culled from the museum’s own collection, range from stereoscopic views made through a telescope, amateur snapshots, and scientific documents, to artworks by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, Ansel Adams, László Moholy-Nagy, Linda Connor, Elliott Erwitt, and others.

Visitors are invited to listen to a playlist featuring songs inspired by the photographs while moving through the exhibition. Tracks include “Sonata No. 14 ‘Moonlight’” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “Moonshadow” by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, and “Walking on the Moon” by The Police.

“The Moon and Photography”
Eastman Museum
May 3-October 20, 2019