The Man Who Sold the World
Phonograph Record
1970 (recorded)
1970 (recorded)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Bowie’s album The Man Who Sold the World was released in April 1971. The deliberately androgynous and theatrical cover photograph shows Bowie wearing a ‘man-dress’ by pioneering 1960s designer Mr Fish. It was taken by Kieth McMillan at Bowie’s flat in Beckenham, ‘Haddon Hall’. The styling of the scene was arguably influenced by the set dressing in Performance (1968), which starred Mick Jagger. This cover was only used on the UK release - the American record label refused to issue such a controversial image and instead used a cartoon cover, showing a John Wayne style cowboy with a gun. Bowie wore such a man-dress on his first tour to the USA in 1971, provoking a range of strong reactions.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Man Who Sold the World (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Vinyl and printed card |
| Brief description | Vinyl LP record and sleeve for The Man Who Sold the World album by David Bowie, released in the UK by Mercury Records in 1971 |
| Physical description | Vinyl LP record for The Man Who Sold the World album by David Bowie. Featuring a colour photograph of Bowie reclining on a chaise longue and wearing a man's dress designed by Michael Fish. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | David Bowie / The Man Who Sold the World (Printed on cover in italics) |
| Gallery label |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Bowie’s album The Man Who Sold the World was released in April 1971. The deliberately androgynous and theatrical cover photograph shows Bowie wearing a ‘man-dress’ by pioneering 1960s designer Mr Fish. It was taken by Kieth McMillan at Bowie’s flat in Beckenham, ‘Haddon Hall’. The styling of the scene was arguably influenced by the set dressing in Performance (1968), which starred Mick Jagger. This cover was only used on the UK release - the American record label refused to issue such a controversial image and instead used a cartoon cover, showing a John Wayne style cowboy with a gun. Bowie wore such a man-dress on his first tour to the USA in 1971, provoking a range of strong reactions. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.433-2013 |
About this object record
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| Record created | December 4, 2012 |
| Record URL |
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