Apollo 11, Photograph 22727

While reading this week's passage "Contested Global Visions: One-World, Whole-Earth, and the Apollo Space Photographs," I was drawn to the differing levels of popularity between the Apollo missions. I had never heard of or learned about photograph 22727 or Earthrise. Looking back, the major hype of the Apollo missions is centered around Apollo 11, the first lunar landing. Far less recognition and remembrance is given to the other Apollo missions, including the Apollo 17 photograph 22727. Photograph 22727 was the first unobstructed, unshadowed view of our entire planet. It was a low priority photographic, taken by the whim of an astronaut in addition to the assigned views that needed to be captured. Upon development back on Earth, photograph 22727 made its way into nearly every aspect of popular culture. The whole globe view graced the covers of magazines, newspapers, and research papers. Airlines used the globe in their company logos. Large corporations erected huge globes as monuments to their company's international potential. Even to this day, countless corporations use the globe to symbolism power, ability, and global connection. It is fascinating that an image so popular and entirely taken for granted today was taken by the whim of an astronaut.