LIBERTY BELL 7 RECOVERY SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH For Sale

Offered here is a remarkable signed photograph connected to the historic recovery of Mercury-Redstone 4 and the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft, flown by astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom on July 21, 1961.The photograph captures what appears to be the dramatic “moment of discovery” during the search for Liberty Bell 7, which sank in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after splashdown and remained on the ocean floor until its recovery by Curt Newport’s expedition in 1999.The photograph is signed by:• Günter Wendt — the legendary NASA pad leader known as the “Pad Führer,” who personally wrote the mission date, 7-21-61, beneath his signature.• Curt Newport — the ocean-recovery expert who led the successful 1999 expedition that located and raised Liberty Bell 7 from a depth of approximately three miles.• A third expedition/recovery-related signer whose signature has not been conclusively identified.This photograph was acquired many years ago from Farthest Reaches, the respected space-memorabilia business operated by longtime dealer Steve Hankow. It has remained in my personal collection since that time.The photograph is particularly compelling because it connects two distinct chapters of Mercury history: the original 1961 mission, represented by Günter Wendt and his handwritten launch date, and the spacecraft’s extraordinary rediscovery and recovery nearly 38 years later, represented by Curt Newport.Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition, signatures, inscriptions, and presentation. The signed photograph does not include a separate third-party autograph-authentication certificate and is being offered with its stated Farthest Reaches provenance.An unusual and historically meaningful display piece for an advanced collector of NASA, Project Mercury, Gus Grissom, Liberty Bell 7, or space-exploration memorabilia.You will receive the exact signed photograph shown in the listing.