Photographer David Bailey Releases Rare Series Of His Private Polaroids For Sale

Legendary photographer and filmmaker David Bailey CBE has opened up his archived special private collection of rare and intimate Polaroids of everyone from Princess Diana to Cara Delevingne. His private collection is a visual treasure trove, confirming Bailey’s status as one of the world’s most stylish photographers.

It’s a lucky dip for collectors too – each of these unique Polaroids are sealed in individual envelopes and signed by David Bailey on the reverse. They also come with a certificate of authenticity. Collectors will be able to select them at random when they visit Dellasposa Gallery in person – or they can order them online. It’s a rare opportunity to own an original work by David Bailey. Before the digital age of smartphones and selfies, there was nothing more immediate than a Polaroid. The glossy three-by-four-inch Polaroid image is now iconic.

The rise of instant Polaroid photography in the 1950s gave Bailey countless opportunities to capture the icons he met. He religiously documented the subjects of his shoots and until now, Bailey treasured these unique works of art in his archives. He is one of a small but legendary group of artists who took Polaroids; Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ansel Adams and Robert Rauschenberg.

Polaroids are one of the few photographic formats that render a truly unique print, unable to be reproduced since the cameras produce final positive images and not negatives. For collectors who long for an original print by seminal photographers like Bailey, Polaroids are the easiest entry into that collecting journey due to their lower cost and the fact that they are often overlooked as part of an artist’s practice.

Bailey’s Polaroids, c. 1972 – 2014
Unique Polaroid
Signed by the artist, on verso
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
Sealed in an envelope marked ‘Copyright David Bailey’
10.8 x 8.5 cm (4 1/4 x 3 3/8 in.)
£ 1,200.00 inc. VAT

©2022 David Bailey, Dellasposa