
The listing went up on Ewbanks’ website on Thursday (14 July) and is expected to sell for anywhere between £1,000 - £1,500.
According to the auction house, the mugshot came into the owner’s possession after they received it as a wedding present from their cousin – the police officer who “fingerprinted and photographed David Bowie”.
The mugshot has remained with the seller for 46 years and is said to be “in very good condition for age”, with no signs of fading or wear and tear, as per Ewbanks’ website.
Bowie was arrested in Rochester, New York on 21 March, 1976. At an after-show party in 1974, he disappeared into a closet with Bette Midler and Mick Jagger. Tour manager Tony Zanetta recalled: “The three of them spent the whole party in there, doing coke. And I’d be very surprised if he didn’t have Bette Midler then, or at one time or another.”
"The stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I'd take it with me." (McCartney)
A series of artworks created by the artist Edward Bell, after he was commissioned by David Bowie to create the album artwork for the musician’s 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), are up for sale in a new online auction.
Comprising original designs, portraits, photography, and sculpture, the works are taken from Bell’s personal collection, sold in partnership with Halls Fine Art auction house and the Dory Gallery in Wales. Many also include signatures and comments penned by the musician.
Bell was originally hired to design the Scary Monsters cover after Bowie attended an exhibition of his work, and went on to produce artworks for the musician into the 1990s, including the CD cover for the 1991 record Tin Machine II. Other notable material featured in the Halls auction includes intimate polaroids, contact sheets, a bronze sculpture of Bowie that was crafted during the Tin Machine era, and designs for the 1980 single “Fashion”.
