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.
Need gift ideas? Roy and Luke are here to help! WhatsApp us or use eil.com website live Chat, call 01474 815 010 or email sales@eil.com and if you have any items to sell, please call us on 01474 815099
eil.com – the world’s best online store for rare, collectable and out of print Vinyl Records, CDs & Music memorabilia since 1987
- Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door - 1st A + Outer - UK - vinyl LP - £45.00, $56.25, €50.40 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jul-2020 11:58)
LED ZEPPELIN In Through The Out Door (1979 UK 7-track vinyl LP, picture sleeve 'A' complete with unmarked 'magic wash' inner & original custom printed brown paper outer bag. The sleeve shows minimal shelfwear & the vinyl remains near 'as new'with little sign of play SSK59410)
- Led Zeppelin - Presence - 2nd - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.25, €28.00 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jul-2020 11:37)
LED ZEPPELIN Presence (1979 UK second issue of the 1976 7-track LP on the Swan Song label with 'Made in the UK' clearly printed above the record speed [same as the first] with stamp A2 matrix along with ‘ATLANTIC STUDIOS’ hand-etched in the deadwax on the A side, matt finish gatefold sleeve with the embossed title on front cover in the top right corner & embossed Swan Song logo on rear cover in the bottom left corner, with the credit printed inner with no printer’s credit, clearly stating 'Printed And Made In England'. The sleeve displays some light wear or signs or age & the vinyl is Excellent with minimal play SSK59402)
- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1st - EX - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £125.00, $156.25, €140.00 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jul-2020 10:29)
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (1975 UK first issue 15-track double vinyl LP, with NO Warner logo on the perimeter label text, wonderful die-cut picture sleeve with thick card inners & card tracklisting insert SSK89400) See 'More Info' ..
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - German - vinyl LP - £30.00, $37.50, €33.60 (New Item) (arrived 03-Jul-2020 11:39)
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin III (Early 1980s German issue of the 1970 10-track vinyl LP on the orange & green Atlantic label, gatefold picture sleeve with rotating wheel front cover printed with 'Atlantic Deluxe' in light blue. The sleeve shows minimal shelfwear and the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play ATL50002)
- Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door - 1st B + Outer - UK - vinyl LP - £80.00, $100.00, €89.60 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jun-2020 12:07)
LED ZEPPELIN In Through The Out Door (Scarce 1979 UK first issue 7-track vinyl LP, picture sleeve variant 'B' complete with unmarked 'magic wash' inner & original custom printed brown paper outer bag. The brown outer shows very little wear whilst the picture sleeve shows is also in Excellent condition, the vinyl displays some minor spindle wear and some light scuffs/hairlines which do not effect play SSK59410)
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - 1st - UK - vinyl LP - £395.00, $493.75, €442.40 (New Item) (arrived 25-Jun-2020 12:28)
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin III (Rare 1970 UK first press 10-track stereo LP on the plum & red Atlantic label with Peter Grant label credit below the album title, 'Do What Thou Wilt' / 'So Mote It Be' hand-scratched into the run-outs, die-cut laminated gatefold picture sleeve with the unusual front panel top & bottom opening [later issues discarded this]. The sleeve shows only the lightest signs of shelfwear with rotating picture wheel in full working order and the print clear and vibrant.The Peter Grant credit (the band's executive producer) is a very tough pressing to find - this text was absent from all later issues. The labels show just a few faint spindle marks indicating very little play & the vinyl too is clean with just some very faint hairlines visible under strong light - a superb copy of a fantastic rock essential!)
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - 8th - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $25.00, €22.40 (New Item) (arrived 23-Jun-2020 16:03)
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin III (Late 70s UK issue of the 1970 10-track LP on the green & orange Atlantic label, with the perimeter text starting & finishing in the green with the 'W' logo, die-cut gatefold picture sleeve with rotating wheel printed by Gothic Print Finishers. The sleeve does show a little scuffing with age & the vinyl is nice & clean & in Excellent condition with some minor signs of play K50002)
- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1st - VG - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £85.00, $106.25, €95.20 (New Item) (arrived 16-Jun-2020 09:01)
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (1975 UK first issue 15-track double vinyl LP, one of the band's most diverse & challenging records, featuring household classics like Kashmir & lesser played gems such as The Wanton Song, die-cut picture sleeve with thick card inners & thick card tracklisting insert. See 'more info' for condition details... SSK89400)
- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - US - 2-LP vinyl set - £50.00, $62.50, €56.00 (New Item) (arrived 15-Jun-2020 14:36)
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (Scarce 1975 US 15-track double LP, housed in a die-cut picture sleeve with picture card inners & wraparound tracklist insert. The packaging is Excellent with a few faint paper scuff marks in the top edge & the vinyl discs remain in Excellent condition with minor signs of play only SS2-200)
- Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same - 2nd - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £50.00, $62.50, €56.00 (New Item) (arrived 12-Jun-2020 09:19)
LED ZEPPELIN The Song Remains The Same (UK second issue 9-track double live LP featuring the Swan Song label variant from circa 1979, clearly printed with 'Manufactured in the UK' above the '33 1/3rpm' speed indicator, lightly textured & embossed gatefold picture sleeve with integral booklet. The sleeve shows very little wear with a small chip in the spine and, aside from a few very light paper scuffs, the vinyl is in excellent condition SSK89402)
Be the first to comment