The original tracing for the artwork to Led Zeppelin’s debut album has been sold for a cool £260,500.
The iconic artwork was put designed by revered artist George Hardie, and was paid just £60 in 1969 to produce a version of Sam Shere’s image of the Hindenburg Airship on fire in 1937. Hardie marked tracing paper with small black dots to create an image similar to a low-resolution newsprint photo.
The single sheet of tracing paper was stored away in a drawer by Hardie, but seemingly forgot about it for decades. Over 50 years later it has become one of the most famous pieces of artwork in rock ‘n’ roll history, and has now been auctioned for six figures at a Christies sale.
“It was unsullied, in a clean folder on which one of my partners had written years ago, ”G’s pension fund’,” said Hardie in a statement. “I think the drawing made a good and memorable cover, but this was more to do with the photograph and Jimmy Page’s choice of it than with my skill as a dotter.”
Hardie would also go on to draw the artwork for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon in 1970, which was then designed by Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis.
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LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II (70s UK eighth issue of the 1969 9-track stereo LP on an orange & green Atlantic label, with band name label print & 'Killing Floor' credit on label but 'The Lemon Song' on the gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve shows light wear and the vinyl is Excellent with light signs of play only K40037)
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LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II (70s UK fifth issue of the 1969 9-track stereo LP on a green & orange Atlantic label, with 'Made in UK' at centre left, 'The Lemon Song' label & sleeve credit, dark brown gatefold picture sleeve printed by Gothic Print Finishers Ltd. The sleeve is Excellent with some minor scuffing & the vinyl remains in Excellent condition & still looks barely played K40037)
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LED ZEPPELIN Whole Lotta Love (1978 US wide centred 7" single originally released in 1971, released as part of the 'Oldies' Series, also including Living Loving Maid, Atlantic Group die-cut paper sleeve. The label states the timing of title trackat 5.33 when it is actually 3.10 as Atlantic inadvertently used the edited masters of the '69 US promo for the pressing OS-13116)
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LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II (Rare early 70s UK fourth issue 9-track stereo LP on the orange & green Atlantic label, with 'Killing Floor' credit on label but 'The Lemon Song' on the gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve shows minimal wear and the vinyl is Excellent with light signs of play only - a stunning copy K40037)
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LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin IV (Early 80s German issue of the 1971 8-track LP, featuring the classic 'Stairway To Heaven' & the beautiful 'The Battle Of Evermore' with Sandy Denny's angelic vocal, housed in a glossy gatefold picture sleeve with non-titled cover art & no spine print, complete with the four symbol inner with the Stairway lyrics/tracklist along with 'ATL50008' & [SD7208] catalogue numbers & 'K50008' on the labels. The sleeve has couple of small nicks on the spine and someminor edgewear, otherwise the sleeve is excellent; the vinyl shows only a few minor scuff marks, but shows few signs of play K50008)
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - 3rd - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £50.00, $69.00, €58.00 (New Item) (arrived 28-May-2021 15:59)
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II (1970 UK third press 9-track LP on the plum & red Atlantic label with Lemon Song credited as Killing Floor, light brown gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve shows a little shelfwear commensurate with its age, with some light edge scuffing and general wear. The vinyl remains in VG+/EX- condition with just light surface scuffs to show for its fifty years. Although not mint, a very respectable copy of this classic rock staple at an advantageous price)
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LED ZEPPELIN In Through The Out Door (1979 Japanese 7-track vinyl LP, complete with the picture sleeve featuring image 'B', complete with unmarked 'magic wash' inner, Japanese/lyric insert, brown outer bag & discography obi-strip. The sleeve shows minimal wear & the vinyl is Excellent & shows very little evidence of play P-10726N)
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- Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same - 2nd - German - 2-LP vinyl set - £25.00, $34.50, €29.00 (New Item) (arrived 06-Jun-2021 10:33)
LED ZEPPELIN The Song Remains The Same (Late 70s German second issue of the 1976 9-track double LP soundtrack, with 'K89402' catalogue number on the labels, housed in a non-barcoded, embossed & textured gatefold sleeve with integral 8-page picture booklet & jet black inners. The sleeve has some light edgewear, whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play SS89402)
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