This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: Van Halen 1981 Lot of 20 Alex Van Halen & Michael Anthony Backstage Color Slides With Transfer Rights
Item Details: Go behind the scenes of rock's most powerful rhythm section with this concise archive of 20 original color positive slides from the private collection of photographer Waring Abbott. Captured during the legendary 1981 Fair Warning era, the slides feature candid, intimate backstage moments with drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony, while the remaining slides provide incredible historical value, documenting the band's massive touring trucks. With immaculate provenance and transfer rights, this rare collection is a premier acquisition for anyone.
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.
Van Halen's arrival in 1978 changed hard rock, pairing Eddie Van Halen's guitar innovations and David Lee Roth's showmanship with the drive of Alex Van Halen's drumming and Michael Anthony's bass and high harmony vocals. Fair Warning, released in 1981 as the band's fourth album, is often regarded as its darkest and most aggressive record of the original-lineup era, and the band supported it with large-scale arena touring. Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony formed the rhythm foundation of the band's classic sound, and both were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Van Halen in 2007.
Condition: Very good
SKU: WBB1119