Photographs of Kate Moss, Christine Keeler and The Beatles go under the hammer

Associated media

Revealing photographs of 19 year-old Kate Moss on the verge of becoming one of the world’s most famous models will be sold in a sale of Photographs & Photobooks by Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions in London, on Friday 22 November 2013. Taken by Patrick Demarchelier, the two photographs capture the innocence that first captivated the fashion world, and a glimpse of the glamorous supermodel she was later to become.  They are estimated at £4,000 – 6,000 and £3,000 – 5,000 respectively.[Lot 207] and [Lot 208]

Another lot is the iconic photograph of Christine Keeler sitting astride a chair that was published at the height of the well-publicized Profumo Affair, which led to the eventual downfall of the Macmillan government. The photograph is signed by Keeler and was purchased directly from her by the current owner. It is estimated at £2,000 – 3,000.

Keeler famously posed nude for Lewis Morley in 1963. These publicity shots, to promote the planned film The Keeler Affair, prompted debate as to whether she was completely nude. In her 2013 biography, Secrets and Lies, she says:  ‘I am always asked if I wore knickers for the shot astride the chair. I certainly did. But it had been a battle to keep them on. Morley had wanted to photograph me without any clothes on but I used the chair to cover my bust and pulled up my white knickers around my waist.’

The photograph, taken on the first floor of the Establishment Club in London’s Soho, where Morley had his studio, has been recreated to promote the play ‘Keeler’, based on the tell-all book by Keeler. The production is currently showing at the Charing Cross Theatre in London. [Lot 123]

A photograph of the Beatles taken at an hotel in Perthshire, during their 1964 Autumn UK Tour was purchased by the current owner directly from the photographer, Robert Whitaker, who travelled with the Beatles on their tours between 1964 and 1966. His brief was to photograph the famous four at work, rest and play.  It is thought that it was taken at the Four Seasons Hotel at Loch Earn where the Beatles stayed for two nights between performances in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow.  Signed by Whitaker, it is estimated to sell for £800-1,200.  [Lot 188]

Bryan Adams, best known as singer-songwriter with a string of hits to his name, has been a serious photographer for many years, first exhibiting at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto in 1999. His ‘When you ain't got nothing, you've got nothing to lose’ photograph depicts a wall with the famous words,“When You Ain't Got Nothin Ya Got Nothin Ta Lose” from the famous Bob Dylan song, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’.  The photograph was bought by the current owner at a charity auction and is signed in pencil by the photographer and is number 2 in an edition of just 5. The photograph is estimated at £800–1,200. [Lot 200]

A small selection of the first photographs taken of NASA astronauts on the Moon provides an extraordinary record of this historically important event. Most notable is a photograph of Buzz Aldrin’s footprint on the Moon, taken on 11 July 1969. It is estimated to achieve £300-500. [Lot 106]

Nobuyoshi Araki is considered to be one of the most prolific photographers in the world, and one of the most celebrated in Japan, having published over 400 books since 1970. Describing himself as a ‘subjective photographer’, he tries to break down the barriers between the photographer, the subject and the viewer. His work is considered controversial in both the East and the West, described as erotic but often regarded as pornographic.  Untitled (Watermelon) from ‘Colourscapes’, 1991 is a Cibachrome print of one of his most famous works. It is signed in black felt tip on the reverse and is estimated at £12,000 – 15,000.[Lot 210]

The sale is on public view from Sunday 17 November – Friday 22 November, at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury’s Maddox Street saleroom in London’s Mayfair. The auction will take place at the same venue and online bidding is offered with no additional premium via www.bloomsburyauctions.com