Vladimir Beilin (Russian, 20th C.) "Vostok I in Orbit" Watercolor.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the Russia Vostok I stamp issued May 29, 1992.
Piloted by space pioneer Yuri Gagarin, Vostok I blasted into the skies above the USSR's Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961. Launched less than four years after the comparatively simple Sputnik I became the first artificial satellite, Vostok I was incredibly advanced for its time. Burning liquid oxygen and kerosene, its main engines developed nearly a million pounds of thrust. (By comparison, the rocket that carried the first Americans into orbit was less than half as powerful.) Vostok I's manned module was automatically controlled from the ground, however it had emergency controls for Gagarin. Vostok I also included a TV camera to monitor the cosmonaut, complex life-support and monitoring systems, and even a food locker (though Gagarin's pioneering flight lasted less than two hours). Upon his return to Earth, Gagarin inspected the Vostok I, which -- despite its hard landing -- he proudly described as "in good enough shape to be used for another space flight."
Image Size: 8.5 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 10.5 x 15.25 in.
Unframed.
(B13798)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.