This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: KISS 1974 Lot of 3 BW 8 x 10 Prints of Gene Simmons at The Georgette Klinger Salon
Item Details: Culled from the private collection of esteemed rock photographer Waring Abbott, this captivating lot features three 8 x 10 black-and-white prints of Gene Simmons at the Georgette Klinger Salon on April 30, 1974. These historic, candid images capture a rare almost unmasked moment as Simmons reclines in a salon chair while an attendant removes his iconic stage makeup. Each print is hand-signed and numbered by Waring Abbott, with one print featuring his official photographer stamp on the reverse. The lot is in good condition, exhibiting typical production-use wear including punched holes, minor edge and corner wear, and very mild age-related discoloration.
Provenance / Authenticity: The items in this lot are sourced directly from the personal archives of renowned photojournalist Waring Abbott. Abbott’s iconic imagery has graced the pages of Time, Newsweek, People, Rolling Stone, and countless foreign publications, alongside legendary album covers and photo spreads for KISS, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, and Bob Dylan and others.
Gene Simmons co-founded KISS in New York in 1973, and his makeup and persona as "The Demon," with fire-breathing, blood-spitting and a famously long tongue, became central to the band's theatrical identity. In 1974, the year KISS released its self-titled debut album on Casablanca Records, the band was building its following through relentless touring. Its members kept their faces hidden from the public for nearly a decade, a mystique that lasted until they appeared without makeup in 1983, and glimpses behind the greasepaint from their early years show how carefully that image was maintained.
Condition: Very good
SKU: WBB1033