Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix photos to fetch $66,000 at auction

By Jake Meeus-Jones

A photographer is selling his huge collection of rock star snaps - including the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Duran Duran - for $66,750 after deciding to downsize.

Gered Mankowitz, 80, is selling many of his works as he and wife Julia sell their Cornish home to move to a smaller property in Wales.

Over 100 signed photographs taken by the acclaimed music photographer are to be sold along with books, vinyl records, and a guitar with a photograph of Jimi Hendrix on it, taken by Gered.

All the items come from the private collection of Mankowitz and his wife, many of which hung on the walls of his Cornish home.

Photographs for sale include iconic shots of Kate Bush, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Wham!, Jimi Hendrix and Duran Duran.

Some of the shots even appeared on the covers of albums and singles.

Auctioneers at Gardiner Houlgate in Wiltshire estimate the entire collection could fetch in excess of £50,000 ($66,750).

Gered Mankowitz said: "I'm a bit of a hoarder and I've been lucky enough to have the space to keep things but we've reached the point in our lives where it's become harder to manage our house and garden so we want to downsize.

"That means less storage space so we're having to get rid of a lot of items from our personal collection.

"It's rather sad to see the spaces on our walls where my pictures used to hang."

Beginning his career in the early 1960s, Gered Mankowitz worked with many of the biggest names in the British music industry.

He famously photographed The Rolling Stones from 1965 to 1967 and was one of the first British photographers to work with legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

His photographs have been used as record covers by hundreds of artists including Kate Bush, Elton John, George Harrison, The Jam, Slade, Suzie Quattro, The Eurythmics, Duran Duran, 10cc, Sparks and ABC.

Well-known albums featuring cover photographs shot by Gered Mankowitz include Lionheart by Kate Bush, This Is the Modern World by The Jam, Between the Buttons by The Rolling Stones, Ultravox by Ultravox and Cloud Nine by George Harrison.

Later in his career, Mankowitz extended his work into film and television, shooting the Monty Python team, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Bing Crosby.

The Julia and Gered Mankowitz Archive Collection comprises 250 lots including over 100 signed limited edition and exhibition prints of Mankowitz's work, artist's proofs, experimental works and the Hasselblad camera equipment.

This equipment was used by Mankowitz in his studio during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s which was used to photograph Oasis, Duran Duran, Kim Wilde and The Eurythmics among many others.

Rare and limited-edition books from the Mankowitzs' personal library, promotional material, scarce music T-shirts and an archive of over 500 vinyl records, many featuring Gered's cover photography, are also to be sold.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs from specialist music auction house Gardiner Houlgate said: "This is a remarkable collection.

"So many of Gered's images have become part of our collective memory and still adorn record and music collections up and down the country.

"In many ways, Gered's work defined the look of the British music industry in its heyday.

"This very personal archive not only documents our cultural history, it also highlights the incredible creativity of British musicians and performers.

"We're anticipating interest from around the world from serious collectors and fans alike.

"It's proven extremely hard to value the archive because here's such a big element of nostalgia and emotional connection for buyers."

The Julia and Gered Mankowitz Archive Collection will be auctioned at Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

The collection will be available for public viewing on Thursday, Sept. 3, and Friday, Sept. 4, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5, from 9 a.m.-noon and on the day of the sale itself.