Mick Rock | 11 contact sheets for Queen II photoshoot, 1974

Mick Rock

11 contact sheets for Queen II photoshoot, 1974

11 contact sheets (25.2 x 20.4cm), Mick Rock's studio stamp to reverse, with manuscript captions, 11 photographs highlighted with chalk, minor creasing and some wear to the very edges, very light scratches

The photoshoot for the image that has now become synonymous with Queen was masterminded by Mick Rock. The photographer had piqued the interests of the relatively unknown band with his potent images of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and David Bowie. Queen wanted to produce an image that was as dramatic as it was eye-catching to lure people's attention in the record stores. 

Mick showed Freddie a theatrical chiaroscuro photograph taken of Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 film Shanghai Express by Don English, where top lighting casts a dramatic shadow, accentuating her bone structure. Mick Rock was shown this by John Cabale (see Mick Rock, Killer Queen). The resulting photoshoot saw the band echoing Dietrich's pose in a diamond formation, with Freddie in the centre mirroring the composition of her hands. These contact sheets provide an intimate experience of the genesis of the final shot. Band members sometimes break into a smile and Freddie tries out several different hand positions before settling for the iconic splayed crossed hands. Thus the strikingly gothic glam image that was later to be the inspiration for the Bohemian Rhapsody's music video was born. 

For the back cover the band continued the monochrome theme with an all white ensemble, with Freddie brandishing a fur stole. There are 65 shots across 6 sheets for the cover photo, and 44 shots across 3 sheets for the back cover. There is also one sheet with 10 solo portraits of the band members. 

The overexposed shot in the bottom right hand corner of the cover shoot revealed that Freddie was wearing the black wrap top with yellow diamanté, lot 39

SPECIAL NOTICE

This lot is being sold for private use only. No right to reproduce or otherwise commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property in the lots is included with the sale of lot. Queen Productions Limited and Queen Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.