Robert Rosen: A Large Group of Vintage Polaroids Taken by Rosen and Signed by Various Film/Music/TV Stars,1980s-00s,approximately 340 colour Polaroids, each signed in various inks by the celebrity featured in the images, notable people include; David Bowie, Bill Wyman, Cliff Richard, Grace Jones, Donovan, Elton John, Sting, Zandra Rhodes, Mary Quant, Sylvester Stallone, Terence Stamp, Vera Lynn, Marianne Faithful, Pete Townsend, Charlie Watts (unsigned), Shirley Bassey, Audrey Hepburn, Stevie Knicks, Andrew Ridgeley, Rudolf Nureyev, Luciano Pavarotti, BB King, Joan Rivers, Jackie Collins, Ronnie Barker, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopie Goldberg, Diana Rigg, Tom Selleck, Mel Gibson, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Nicole Kidman, Ru Paul, Cate Blanchette, Yoko Ono, David Essex, Phil Lynott, Phil Collins, The Village People, David Hockney, Andrew Logan, Karl Lagerfeld, Joe Cocker, John Hurt, Edward Bell, Duggie Fields, Patrick Hughes, Naomi Campbell, Ossie Clark, Malcolm McLaren, Celia Birtwell, Grayson Perry, Peter Blake, Thierry Mugler, David Bailey, Martin Sharp, Paloma Picasso, Jean Shrimpton, Diana Ross, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Issey Miyake, Marcel Marceau, Francis Bacon, Dean Martin, Bob Geldof, Michael York, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Joan Collins, Carrie Fisher, Tom Stoppard, Lewis Morley, Anita Ekberg, Bill Gibb, David Attenborough, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Everett, Christopher Reeve, Jean Paul Gautier, Ronnie Corbett, Diana Dors, Tony Curtis, Joanna Lumley, Geraldine Chaplin, Omar Sharif, Ian McKellen, Michael Caine, Penelope Keith, Muhammad Ali, Les Dawson, Jane Asher, Janet Street-Porter, Bette Midler, Bonnie Tyler, Jerry Hall, Boy George, Quentin Crisp, William Burroughs, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Deborah Kerr, Nina Simone, Leo Sayer, Lulu, David Hemmings, Barry Lategan, Nico, Vanessa Redgrave, among many others, all signed and dated on the reverse by the photographer, split across two leather-bound albums, sold without copyright or any reproduction rights, each 3 1/2in x 4in (9cm x 10cm), (Qty)Footnotes:Provenance:Offered by Australian photographer Robert Rosen.During 1975-1985 Rosen worked as a freelance photographer in London for Rolling Stone, NME and other music papers. He was also a society, portrait and catwalk photographer for Ritz Newspaper, Avant Garde Magazine, Root, Fashion Weekly & POL and freelanced for daily newspapers during this time. In 1985 Robert returned to Australia and continued his work with Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Mode & Elle and the Sunday Telegraph, Sydney.Robert Rosen is one of Australia's foremost social photographers and an astute observer of Sydney and London society. He has covered social events for the past 30 years and through his lens brings us tantalizing shots of global celebrities. These are not the stiff poses and uncomfortable smiles captured by most social photographers. It is clear Rosen's subjects are willing participants, resulting in images that exude warmth and wit. This fascinating series of Polaroid photographs records the glamour, the personalities, the drama and the fun of London, Paris and Sydney social events. The images are also important social documents, recording key personalities among the world's social set‚ a mix of actors, rockstars, stage and screen stars and creatives. A visual history of his work appears in his latest book Glitterati. David Bowie Polaroid, London, 1981.'This polaroid was taken at a party at Regine's nightclub on top of a building in Kensington London. I spotted Bowie in the garden and nervously went up to him and asked if I could take his photo and do a Polaroid of him. He agreed but wanted us to go somewhere a little more secluded. I took the Polaroid and all the while I'm thinking, he's going to remember me as the photographer who'd taken his photo at the Blitz Club without his permission about six months before. He was asking me questions about my attire, especially the Andrew Logan mirror bowtie I was wearing. He then said ' Ahh, Robert Rosen with the looking glass bowtie.' I smiled and showed him the Polaroid that by now had fully developed. But it had my fingerprints across the top of it as I'd been nervously holding it too hard whilst talking to David. I suggested we take another one, but he said 'No I like it, it's art' and he signed it.'- Robert RosenThe Charlie Watts Polaroid is the only unsigned photograph in the collection. When Rosen asked Watts to sign it, his excuse for not doing so was because John Lennon had passed away that day.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
