This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: KISS 1975 Lot of 3 BW 8 x 10 Prints of Peter Criss Aplying Makeup Backstage in Nassau, NY
Item Details: Captured backstage in Nassau, New York, on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1975, by legendary photographer Waring Abbott, this rare lot of three black-and-white 8 x 10 prints documents an intimate look at drummer Peter Criss applying his iconic "Catman" makeup. Sourced directly from Abbott’s private collection, each historic print is signed and numbered by the photographer and 2 of the 3 bears his official stamp or decal on the reverse. The collection remains in very good condition, exhibiting only mild edge and corner wear, with one print featuring a single punched hole.
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.
Peter Criss was a founding member of KISS, and his "Catman" persona was one of the four makeup identities that defined the band's theatrical image and set it apart from its hard rock peers. The year 1975 marked the group's commercial breakthrough with the double live album Alive!, which carried KISS from a heavily touring club and arena act to a mainstream success. Criss also sang lead on "Beth," the 1976 ballad that became one of the band's biggest hit singles and showed a softer side of a group known for its spectacle and volume.
Condition: Very good
SKU: WBB1061