This rare raised relief Lunar globe commemorates Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon; the monumental landmark moment in the Space Race! Displayed in 3-D realistic detail the mysterious dark side of the moon is revealed for the first time!  The globe is placed on an acrylic and wood base with a replica of the plaque left by the Apollo 11 crew. The first images of the far side of the moon were taken in 1959 by the Soviet Luna 3 but the images were crude and grainy, subsequent space probes succeeded in photographing the Far side in much greater detail by 1967.  It wasn't until the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 that astronauts orbited the moon in preparation for the Apollo 11 moon landing that saw the far side for the first time with human eyes.  The Soviets released a lunar globe from the compilation of photographs in 1967 that was 95 percent complete.  After the Moon landing in 1969 NASA commissioned a Lunar globe that was produced by the Denoyer-Geppert Co.  Neither of these were a raised relief. This topographical globe was only produced in a limited edition.  The head of the Hayden Planetarium pronounced it "one of the finest celestial models he had ever seen."  So much so that CBS bought exclusive rights to use it for TV simulations on Walter Cronkite's coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Shortly after this model was produced, a 13 inch version was also made. There is mixed opinion on these first models as some claim they were for sale to the public and others that claim they were made as promotional giveaways. Either way, they are extremely scarce today. Especially with the original booklet and map. Description: The orb measures 8 inches in diameter and is made from a plastic-bakelite material.  The approximate height including clear acrylic stand is 10 inches. The original booklet and map are included. They both have excellent information regarding the use of the globe and its role in CBS's space coverage. Condition: This lunar globe is extremely well preserved with no cracks, scuffing, or soiling. The base does have minimal wear to the edges of the lucite feet. Well packed this artifact will ship for $18 domestic, $32 international (most countries). $785 - Item# 1117EDUMOON69