Announcement card for Buzz Aldrin signing


I am pleased to be posting my latest acquisition of bibliophemera--an announcement card, or ad card, for a book signing at Louis Vuitton in Houston. Apollo 11 astronaut and moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin, appeared in person yesterday at Louis Vuitton to sign copies of his latest book, Magnificent Desolation. I picked up one of these cards at the store before they ran out, then I got in line to get my books signed by Buzz Aldrin. Thus the pleasure at being able to post about it today.


This is special, of course, because of the space history connected with the signing. All this week, Americans, as well as other nations, have been observing and celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the first landing on the moon--the Apollo 11 mission. Buzz Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong as the first two men to walk on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.

The Vuitton card is from the Louis Vuitton Core Values Ad Campaign, photography by Annie Leibovitz. The announcement is printed with the Leibovitz photo of Sally Ride (first American woman in space), Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Lovell (ill-fated Apollo 13). The photo is on thick cardboard stock, measuring 14.7 by 23.5 cm (5.75 by 9.25 inches) and contains the printed announcement on the back.

Here's a video related to the campaign that Vuitton has posted on YouTube.



Most of what I post here is about antique paper dating back to the 1800s and early twentieth century. This Vuitton card is not only my latest collectible, but it is also the newest piece in my collection. Less than two months old at best guess. As Frank DeFreitas pointed out in his review of Ephemera 29, International Fair & Conference, held earlier this year, "The term ephemera does not refer to how old something is... You can have a piece of ephemera from the 1700's, or a piece of ephemera from yesterday." And my latest piece of ephemera is from yesterday.

Appropriately enough, I'll close with the intended result of the ad card. One of them anyway. I'm sure they hoped that the extra traffic in the store would result in increased sales of their merchandise. I don't know how that worked out for them, but it sure got me in there to buy a few books and get them signed. For that, I thank them.


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