David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' could smash Led Zeppelin album art record at auction
It's part of The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive auction at Bonhams
The seminal artwork for David Bowie’s sixth studio album ‘Aladdin Sane’ could break a record set by Led Zeppelin when it goes under the hammer in London this autumn.
Shot in January 1973 by late photographer Brian Duffy in his North London studio, the original dye transfer print artwork for ‘Aladdin Sane’ is the star lot of The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive auction at Bonhams.
Running from Wednesday 22nd October to Wednesday 5th November 2025 at bonhams.com and Bonhams New Bond Street, the ‘Aladdin Sane’ cover art has an estimate of £250,000 to £300,000.
If it reaches the estimate, ‘Aladdin Sane’ will beat the £240,000 album art record set by Led Zeppelin’s debut self-titled album at Christie’s in 2020.
Alongside the front sleeve, the original dye transfer print artwork used on the inside cover of ‘Aladdin Sane’ is up for sale and it’s estimated to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000.
Also coming to auction are the Hasselblad camera Duffy used to shoot Bowie for ‘Aladdin Sane’ and ‘Scary Monsters’ (1980), the only two surviving contact sheets for ‘Aladdin Sane’, and the stool Bowie sat on for the ‘Aladdin Sane’ shoot.
All items come directly from the Duffy Archive, established and managed by Duffy’s son, Chris Duffy.
Highlights of The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive auction at Bonhams:
The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive
The Original Dye Transfer Print Artwork for David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane (Eyes Closed)' Album Cover, 1973.
Sold for £381,400 (Estimate: £250,000 to £300,000)
The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive
Duffy's stool used by David Bowie for the 'Aladdin Sane' shoot in 1973.
Sold for £2,816 (Estimate: £500 to £700)
The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive
The Original Dye Transfer Print Artwork for the INSIDE COVER of David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album.
Sold for TBA (Estimate: £150,000 - £200,000)
The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive
The Hasselblad 500C camera used by Duffy to photograph the 'Aladdin Sane' and 'Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)' album artworks.
Sold for TBA (Estimate: £10,000 to £15,000)
The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive
Five original vintage prints from the Scary Monsters shoot with David Bowie as 'Pierrot', the sad clown, 1980.
Sold for £9,600 (Estimate: £8,000 to £10,000)
Chris Duffy says: "Duffy and I began establishing the archive in 2006 to ensure that my father’s legacy and his iconic images were preserved and viewed. The works in the sale at Bonhams have been exhibited worldwide in museums and galleries.
“At this key moment of recognition for the iconic Duffy/Bowie collaboration, I feel it’s right that a small but significant part of the Duffy Archive collection is available for many to share in this legacy.”
“I thank Bonhams for hosting the exhibition of his work for sale and for their sensitive approach to his unique contribution to pop culture.”
He adds: “Duffy asked David what the album was to be called, and David replied ‘A Lad Insane’. Duffy interpreted this as ‘Aladdin Sane’; I guess a genie vision and thoughts of rubbing an Aladdin’s lamp must have appeared to him.”
Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams’ Popular Culture Department, adds: “Duffy’s iconic photography, paired with Bowie’s incomparable artistic vision, captured the spirit of a generation and cemented their place in cultural history.
“As collaborators, they produced a body of work that defined the visual language of the 1970s and beyond, influencing music, fashion, and photography. From the iconic album cover artworks to the actual cameras used, each piece has a story to tell.
“These items have been widely exhibited around the world, and with the David Bowie Centre opening at V&A East this September, this timely auction will be a rare and thrilling opportunity for collectors and fans to own a piece of Duffy / Bowie history.”