Konrad Dannenberg – V2 photo

Extremely Rare Konrad Dannenberg Signed & Inscribed V-2 Photograph – Peenemünde, October 3, 1942

An exceptional 8 x 10 inch glossy period-style photograph depicting a V-2 rocket during preparations at Peenemünde, personally hand-signed and extensively annotated by German-American rocket pioneer Konrad Dannenberg (1912–2009).

Dannenberg’s handwritten inscription translates as:

“The beginning of the Space Age – preparations for the launch of a V-2 rocket in Peenemünde, October 3, 1942.”

The date is of extraordinary significance in the history of rocketry. On October 3, 1942, a V-2 launched from Peenemünde achieved the first fully successful flight of the revolutionary ballistic missile, reaching an altitude of approximately 85 kilometers. The flight is widely regarded as one of the defining milestones marking the beginning of the Space Age and is often cited as the first human-made object to reach the fringes of space.

Konrad Dannenberg was a member of the German rocket team at Peenemünde and later became one of the key engineers brought to the United States, where he worked under Wernher von Braun on the development of American launch vehicles. He subsequently played an important role in NASA’s Saturn rocket program, which ultimately enabled the Apollo lunar missions.

The combination of an historically important V-2 image, Dannenberg’s original signature, and his highly significant handwritten reference to the October 3, 1942 launch makes this an especially desirable artifact documenting the origins of modern rocketry and human space exploration.

An exceptionally scarce signed piece connecting Peenemünde, the V-2 program, the birth of modern rocketry, and the technological lineage that ultimately led to the Apollo Moon landings.

Format: 8 x 10 inches
Photograph: Glossy
Signed: Konrad Dannenberg
Inscribed: Handwritten historical annotation referencing Peenemünde and the October 3, 1942 V-2