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Lot #6248
Wernher von Braun Typed Letter Signed

"When I was 16 I decided to devote all my efforts to the task of building rockets which would enable man to visit the Moon and the Planets"

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Estimate: $2000+
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Description

"When I was 16 I decided to devote all my efforts to the task of building rockets which would enable man to visit the Moon and the Planets"

TLS, one page, 7.75 x 10.5, personal letterhead, May 10, 1955. Letter to Henri Corbiere, in full: "Enclosed find my answers to your inquiry dated 4th April 1955." The unsigned one-page typed enclosure is present, offering answers to four biographical questions. Braun replies regarding his scientific 'debut,' in part: "When I was 16 I decided to devote all my efforts to the task of building rockets which would enable man to visit the Moon and the Planets. I studied Physics and Engineering with this sole objective in mind." He goes on to discuss his history with the V-2 rocket, in part: "During World War II, I headed the technical organization which developed the V-2 rocket. Most of the credit I got for this was undeserved, however, since this rocket was actually the product of a joint effort of several thousand engineers, scientists and technicians. My part was merely to keep the effort coordinated." On his 'Maxim of Life,' von Braun replies: "Devote yourself, body and soul, to a noble objective and forget yourself over it. Getting completely wrapped up and absorbed in an exterior objective makes you save bills for doctors, psychiatrists, and is a dead-sure means of achieving satisfaction and personal happiness." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. A wonderful, prescient piece written fourteen years before von Braun's vision—a man on the moon—would become a reality.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Science and Technology
  • Dates: #554 - Ended December 13, 2018





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