A legendary photograph immortalizing David Bowie with his signature lightning bolt across his face, the iconic cover of his 1973 album "Aladdin Sane," is on the cusp of becoming the most expensive album cover ever sold at auction. The sale is slated to commence on October 22, 2025, and conclude on November 5, 2025, with expectations that it will surpass previous records. The image, captured in 1973 by the acclaimed photographer Brian Duffy, is celebrated as one of Bowie's most recognizable and has been hailed as "the ultimate portrait of the pop musician."
The estimated sale price for the "Aladdin Sane" cover art is approaching £300,000, a figure that could eclipse the current record of $325,000 set in 2020 by the cover of Led Zeppelin's debut album. This pivotal photograph is part of a significant collection of 35 items from Brian Duffy's archive, all related to David Bowie, being offered by Bonhams. Among the artifacts are the very stool Bowie occupied during the "Aladdin Sane" photoshoot, the Hasselblad 500C camera utilized by Duffy, and two of the only existing contact sheets from the groundbreaking session. The creative partnership between Bowie and Duffy spanned eight years and included iconic imagery for the albums "Lodger" and "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)."
Further enhancing the allure of the collection is the original artwork for the "Aladdin Sane" album, which features a full-body depiction of Bowie as the character. This artwork, which had a limited circulation of 5,000 prints, is anticipated to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000. Claire Tole-Moir, head of Bonhams' pop culture department, emphasized the enduring impact of this particular image, stating that it is often the first that comes to mind when people think of David Bowie. She expressed confidence that the original artwork has the potential to set new records within its category.
In recent years, this seminal photograph has been showcased globally, notably as a centerpiece in the "David Bowie Is" exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This exhibition embarked on a worldwide tour, gracing cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Berlin, New York, and Tokyo, drawing millions of admirers. The exhibition concluded its run in London in March 2023. Crispin Duffy, the photographer's son, reiterated the image's status as "the ultimate portrait of the pop musician."
The dye transfer process used for the image was considered exceptionally advanced for its time, setting a precedent for creative execution. The genesis of the lightning bolt motif itself is rooted in a spontaneous moment during the 1973 photoshoot. Makeup artist Pierre La Roche initially applied a smaller flash design, but Duffy, seeking a more dramatic impact, sketched a larger bolt with lipstick, which was then filled in, birthing the now-legendary visual. The entire production was meticulously crafted using the most expensive techniques available at the time, including dye transfer printing and airbrushing by Philip Castle, to ensure a visually stunning and enduring result.