Exclusive: Near-mint condition preprint copy features 36 portraits of stars including John Lennon and Mick Jagger
David Bailey’s Box of Pin-Ups of 1965 was a defining portrait of the swinging 60s, immortalising some of the most fashionable stars of the era, from John Lennon and Mick Jagger to Jean Shrimpton and Susan Murray.
Now the original proof copy of this landmark portfolio of 36 portraits by one of Britain’s foremost photographers has come to light for the first time. It is the personal working proof copy of David Hillman, the influential graphic designer who went on to give the Guardian a groundbreaking redesign in 1988.
In 1965, Hillman co-conceived the Box of Pin-Ups with the magazine editor and political cartoonist Mark Boxer. This copy, in near-mint condition, was the finished concept presented to Bailey for final approval before printing.
Its existence was unknown until now, having remained in Hillman’s private collection. In an accompanying signed letter confirming its authenticity, he writes: “Mark, a friend of David Bailey’s, came up with the idea for a box of pin-ups – an idea Bailey was enthusiastic about. Bailey selected the photographs, and Mark tasked me with designing and managing the project under his direction.”
