On the 19th of April 1973, the Aladdin Sane album was released to critical acclaim. The music speaks for itself but rarely has a portrait on an album cover become the definitive image of one man. Rarely has an image become known as a cultural icon (as quoted by the V&A) or popularly known as the ‘Mona Lisa of Pop’. Thousands of words have been written on the image, numerous interpretations of the pool of liquid on David Bowie’s collarbone and the lighting flash has been replicated ad infinitum.
During the Aladdin Sane album cover photo session in 1973, Duffy shot Bowie in the same position as the final record cover with his eyes open, revealing his permanently dilated left eye. One of his most recognisable features was incurred in 1962 during a fight over a girl with his lifelong friend George Underwood. The Aladdin Sane Eyes Open image was discovered by the Duffy Archive over 30 years later and revealed to the world for use in the record-breaking 'David Bowie is V&A exhibition becoming as iconic as the classic album cover in the process. The exhibition toured worldwide with over 2 million visitors
Unsigned Mounted Open Edition Prints
Our Standard Archival Quality Pigment Ink Prints come in two sizes, the Standard and the Gallery.
The Standard is approx. 7.5″x7.5″ (19.05cm x 19.05cm) in a 12.4″x12.4″ (31.5cm x 31.5cm) mount. Our Standard Size open edition prints are the same size as a 12.4" vinyl album sleeve for convenient framing.
The Gallery is approx. 10.5"x 10.5" (27cm x 27cm) in a 19.75" x 19.75" (50cm x 50cm) mount. Our Gallery Size open edition prints drop straight into 50cm x 50cm frames which are ready available from many retailers. High quality black frames for Gallery prints can be made in house for mainland UK orders. Please contact us if you would like a framed print and a quote will be provided.
All of our images are ready to frame, supplied with a choice of either a black or white acid-free mount. A mount is a paper-based border around framed images between the frame and the image. The mount adds an extra decorative element and also prevents the image from making contact with the glass/perspex. We supply two sizes of mount in either square or landscape/portrait aperture, in three colours - white, black and silver.
As with all our prints, each open edition is handmade, printed, assembled and packed at the Duffy Archive. Each print is embossed with the Duffy Archive stamp, and the reverse of each mount has a sticker detailing a brief history of the session and ink stamped with a logo from Duffy's camera cases.
Aladdin Sane 50 Book
For the 50th anniversary of this image, the Aladdin Sane 50 book was written in celebration of this iconic session with David Bowie. Half a century after the album’s release this image is still controversial, fresh, challenging, beautiful and ethereal. One never tires of its simplicity and boldness.
Limited to 1000 Aladdin Sane hardback books with two bound-in 5”x7” postcards of previously unreleased images. This edition is exclusive to the Duffy Archive and all books are embossed with the AS50 stamp, the Duffy Archive stamp and signed by Chris Duffy. The books can be personalised with a message upon request.
Limited and Signed editions are available, to discuss options please Contact Us.