Moonwalk: one plate

Longtime patrons of the arts, Jack and Marian Javits both played instrumental roles in the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities. Senator Javits, a liberal Republican Senator from New York, introduced one of the first bills to bring Federal assistance to the arts, while Marian lobbied Congress on behalf of their many friends in New York and across the country who were directors, actors and artists. Mrs. Javits’ tireless work was rewarded at the signing ceremony with an oficial pen presented to her by President Johnson. Among the couple’s circle were artists Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Jim Rosenquist, Louise Nevelson, Robert Motherwell and Andy Warhol. Jack and Marian applied their passion for the arts to their personal collection as well and supported their friends by purchasing their work, such as this Warhol Moonwalk. A composite of two photographs taken by Neil Armstrong of Edwin Aldrin, Jr. walking on the moon in 1969, the print in many ways shows their lasting dedication to promoting American art forms.