This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: Lou Reed 1982-1983 Legendary Hearts Color Transparency Presentation Lot
Item Details: Own a definitive piece of art rock history with this exceptional archive documenting the creation of Lou Reed’s iconic 1983 Legendary Hearts album cover, sourced straight from the private collection of celebrated photographer Waring Abbott. This premium lot features 10 medium-format color transparencies housed in a custom Waring Abbott presentation sleeve, complemented by one rare Polacolor instant print, two 3.5" x 4.5" color positives, and five 2.5" x 2.5" positives across two strips. This lot offers an intimate, multi-format look at the visual identity of a rock legend with historic provenance. This lot is sold strictly as collectibles and does not include any transfer rights.
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.
Lou Reed, who co-founded the Velvet Underground before building a solo career that included the 1972 album Transformer and its hit "Walk on the Wild Side," entered a creatively renewed period in the early 1980s. Following the well-received 1982 album The Blue Mask, his 1983 RCA release continued his partnership with guitarist Robert Quine and bassist Fernando Saunders, a lineup whose interlocking guitar work and spare arrangements framed some of Reed's most personal songwriting about love, commitment and adult life. The period is regarded as one of the high points of his later career and reflects his lasting influence on art rock, punk and alternative music.
Condition: Very good. This lot is sold as a collectibles lot and does not include a transfer of rights.
SKU: WBB1116