At 15, the London-born David Bailey was jazz mad and Picasso loving but, being a dyslexic cockney, was booted out of school. Escape from gritty East London seemed unlikely until he picked up a Rolleiflex during his stint in the National Service. Three years later, in 1960, he was under contract at British Vogue.
Prodigiously talented, Bailey was also wildly charismatic and uncommonly pretty, a high-octane amalgam that no doubt fueled his meteoric rise. Soon, he was chronicling, and surfing, the cultural tsunami that transformed London in the Swinging Sixties, when young creatives from music, fashion, advertising, theater, film, TV and journalism toppled the British establishment to become the new royalty.
This was the moment when the seeds of celebrity culture were sown. Bailey snapped all these revolutionary aristos: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Michael Caine, Tom Stoppard and David Hockney. Each and every one looks impossibly dewy and fresh and brims with an entirely modern derring-do.
So, too, do “the beautiful birds,” as Bailey called the alluring models and actresses who defined that decade: the exquisite Jean “Shrimp” Shrimpton, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve. A number of them became his lovers, Deneuve his wife (he’s had four), for a time.
It was a wild ride for an East End lad and literally the stuff of movies. Bailey was the inspiration for the prowling fashion photographer Thomas, played by pretty boy David Hemmings, in one of the iconic films of that era, Antonioni’s Blowup.
But despite his playboy persona and lucrative work in fashion advertising, Bailey has always possessed real psychological depth and artistic ambition. He can snap like few others. His closest peer in spontaneity, insight and cool was Richard Avedon. Both preferred a white backdrop, strong lighting and a tight focus to capture that rare telling moment.
Someone shot with eyes shut is not an accident with Bailey but a revelation. To this day, he can’t explain how he works his magic, although he does liken it to shamanic conjuring. He makes no secret that he spends most of his time gabbing with his subject — he’s curious about everyone. Sometimes, the chatter is a seduction; occasionally, it becomes good-naturedly pugilistic. And then, in mere moments, the individual is sized and seized by his camera.
Browse David Bailey's revolutionary portraiture and fashion photography on 1stDibs.
Bailey. 80s. 1–100, Yves Saint Laurent 1981. Signed, Limited Book & Print
By David Bailey
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Edition (No. 1–100) with the signed print Yves Saint Laurent, 1981 and the book Eighties in a clamshell box, also signed by David Bailey. Inkjet print on Hahnemuhle pearl paper, ...
Inkjet
$3,000
Bailey. 80s. 101–200, Jerry Hall & J. Henri Lartigue 1983. Signed book & Print
By David Bailey
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Edition (No. 101–200) with the signed print Jerry Hall and Jacques Henri Lartigue, Nice, France, 1983 and the book Eighties in a clamshell box, also signed by David Bailey. Inkje...
Inkjet
Cecil Beaton and Rudolf Nureyev c1965 For David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
Cecil Beaton & Rudolf Nureyev c1965 Art Sz: 14"H x 12"W Frame Sz: 19 1/2"H x 17 1/2"W w/ bespoke lavender mat w/ Brit racing green
Photographic Paper
'Jimmy Woolf' 1965 from David Bailey's 'Box of Pin-Ups'
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
Producer of 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Room at the Top' who was one of the most successful impresarios in the British film industries Art Sz: 14" x 12" Fram...
Photographic Paper
Rudolf Nureyev 1965 Half-Tone Photo Print For David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
The legendary dancer c1965 Art Sz: 14" x 12" Frame Sz: 19 1/2" x 17 1/2" in bespoke lavender mat w/ Brit racing green
Photographic Paper
$1,200
'Michael Cooper' 1965 Half-Tone Photo Print For David Bailey's 'Box of Pin-Ups'
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
Michael Cooper, photographer, doesn't so much dress as dress up. And his two-year-old son wears exactly the same clothes. Art Sz: 14" x 12" Frame Sz: 19 1/2" x 17 1/2" In bespoke...
Photographic Paper
$1,200
'James Wedge: The Mysterious Milliner' 1965 For David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups'
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
James "Jimmy" Wedge (born 1939) is a British fashion designer, milliner and fashion photographer "He's a hopeless businessman, and though he should have made a lot of money, one som...
Photographic Paper
$1,800
Brian Morris 1965 Half-Tone Photo Print by David Bailey for His Box of Pin-Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
Manager of the Ad Lib made it for a time the most successful nightclub in the world! Art Sz: 14"H x 12"W Frame Sz: 19 1/2"H x 17 1/2"W in bespoke lavender mat w/ Brit racing green ...
Photographic Paper
P. J. Proby 1965 Half-Tone Photo Print For David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
P. J. Proby, Hollywood actor who starred in the movie 'Greatest Story Never Told' & in 1964 appeared in the Brian Epstein's TV spectacular, 'Meet the Bea...
Photographic Paper
Blondie Blue by BATIK signed limited edition Oversize POP ART
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
Blondie Blue by BATIK signed limited edition POP ART print Paper Size OVERSIZE 24 x 20" inches / 51 x 41 cm Signed & numbered by artist on front Archival Pigment print Limited to ...
Color, Archival Pigment
$5,500
H 47 in W 38 in D 1 in
"Chuck Close Study for 3D painting" 47x38" one of a kind archival pigment print
By Ceravolo
Located in Southampton, NY
This art is a one of a kind print on canvas with archival ink, it is completely flat but has the characteristics of Ceravolo's 3 dimensional look. It was the study for a large canvas of Chuck Close that was comprised of actual three dimensional elements. This unique one of a kind print has the depth that a Ceravolo canvas in known for while being completely flat. It is framed under plexiglass and measures 47x38" When Ceravolo met Chuck Close for the first time in 2008 he told Chuck that Chuck had indirectly feed his (Ceravolo's) family for the past 25 years because he (Ceravolo) started to paint large scale portraits after seeing Chucks portrait of Phillip Glass...
Archival Pigment, Canvas
$48,500
H 4.4 in W 3.2 in D 0.2 in
Andy Warhol - Roy Lichtenstein polaroid, Authenticated by the Warhol Foundation
By Andy Warhol
Located in New York, NY
Andy Warhol Portrait of Roy Lichtenstein, 1975 Polaroid dye-diffusion print Authenticated by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, bears the Foundation stamp verso Frame in...
Polaroid
$2,500
H 32 in W 24 in
Richard Corman - Jean-Michel Basquiat 1984 print, hand signed numbered by Corman
By Richard Corman
Located in New York, NY
Richard Corman Jean-Michel Basquiat 1984 (Red), 2020 Offset lithograph poster on color archival pigment paper Signed and numbered 2/100 by Richard Corman in silver sharpie on the fro...
Archival Paper, Lithograph, Offset
Darth Elvis - Hand Signed Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Darth Elvis - Hand Signed Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print This piece is a fun and modern reworking of actor and singer Elvis Presley, dressed as...
Color, Archival Pigment
Ohh Baby ! - Oversize Signed limited edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss
Located in London, GB
Ohh Baby ! - Oversize Signed limited edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss by the London based contemporary pop art image creator and artist, BATIK. Measures 40 x 30" inches / 101 x 76 c...
Color, Archival Pigment
Kate Cerise by BATIK - Oversize limited edition - Kate Moss Pop Art
Located in London, GB
Kate Cerise - Oversize limited edition - Kate Moss Beautiful archival pigment print of the supermodel and fashion icon by the London based contemporary pop art image creator and ...
Color, Archival Pigment
Cherry Kate - Hand Signed Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Cherry Kate - Hand Signed Limited Edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss Archival Pigment Print This piece is a modern reworking of the supermodel Kate Moss. B...
Color, Archival Pigment
Ohh Baby ! - Oversize Signed limited edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss
By BATIK
Located in London, GB
Ohh Baby ! - Oversize Signed limited edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss by the London based contemporary pop art image creator and artist, BATIK. Measures 30 x 20" inches / 76 x 51 cm...
Color, Archival Pigment
Ohh Baby ! - Hand Signed Limited Edition by BATIK
Located in London, GB
Ohh Baby ! - Hand Signed Limited Edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss Archival Pigment Print BATÍK is a London based contemporary pop art image creator and artist. Measures 60 x 40 inc...
Color, Archival Pigment
Darth Elvis - Hand Signed Limited Edition by BATIK
Located in London, GB
Darth Elvis - Hand Signed Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print This piece is a fun and modern reworking of actor and singer Elvis Presley, dressed as Star Wars' Darth Vader. B...
Color, Archival Pigment
Cherry Kate - Hand Signed Limited Edition by BATIK
Located in London, GB
Cherry Kate - Hand Signed Limited Edition - Pop Art - Kate Moss Archival Pigment Print This piece is a modern reworking of the supermodel Kate Moss. BATÍK is a London based cont...
Color, Archival Pigment
Sold
H 14 in W 12 in
Donald Grollman aka 'The Bongo Wolf' 1965 For David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
David Bailey b&w photo of Donald Grollman aka Bongo Wolf c1965 Art Sz: 14"H x 12"W Frame Sz: 19 1/2"H x 17 1/2"W In bespoke lavender mat w/ Brit racing green Bongo Wolf was a le...
Photographic Paper
Sold
H 14 in W 12 in
Vidal Scissors Sassoon 1965 Half-Tone Photo Print For David Bailey's Box Pin Ups
By David Bailey
Located in Bristol, CT
Vidal Sassoon, CBE (1928-2012). British hairdresser to the stars! 1965 Art Sz: 14" x 12" Frame Sz: 19.5" x 17.5" in bespoke lavender mat w/ Brit racing...
Photographic Paper