Rare Original David Bailey Proof of 1965 “Box of Pin‑Ups” Portfolio Emerges After Six Decades

27 July 2025

Photos of Mick Jagger and Michael Caine from the proof copy of Bailey’s landmark collection of portraits. Photograph: David Bailey

In a remarkable discovery tied to the turbulent spirit of the 1960s a pristine working proof of David Bailey’s iconic 1965 “Box of Pin‑Ups” has come to light nearly sixty years after its original release The proof was owned and assembled by the graphic designer David Hillman who collaborated with magazine editor Mark Boxer in conceiving the now legendary collection limited to thirty‑six celebrity portraits including John Lennon Mick Jagger Jean Shrimpton Michael Caine and other cultural icons of the Swinging Sixties.

The newly revealed copy is not a standard edition intended for the public but a near‑mint preprint prototype presented to Bailey for final approval before mass publication It remained in Hillman’s private archive until now making it the only known surviving proof of its kind.

Bailey selected the photographs Boxer guided the editorial direction and Hillman conceptualized the design layout The proof encapsulates their combined vision with stylish minimalism featuring half‑tone prints housed in the original box bearing a corrugated card stamped “Packing Piece / To be Thrown Away” alongside printed biographical notes on each sitter’s reverse.

Originally published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson that first edition was never reprinted in part because Lord Snowdon objected to the inclusion of the infamous Kray twins in the set That decision not only cancelled plans for an American edition but ensured the collection remained tightly controlled and deeply coveted.

Collectors have long chased original copies of “Box of Pin‑Ups” One copy signed by Bailey fetched over £20 000 at auction while unsigned but intact examples are routinely valued around that figure The newly discovered proof is being offered for sale by Bayliss Rare Books in London with a price tag of £25 000 to mark the 60th anniversary of the portfolio’s original release.

Oliver Bayliss the founder of Bayliss Rare Books described the find as extraordinary Proof editions for such influential works are virtually unheard of and until now had been thought not to exist His role as a rare books dealer brings him into contact with unexpected treasures yet this particular piece stands apart both for its provenance and its cultural resonance.

Bailey’s “Box of Pin‑Ups” marked a seismic shift in photographic portraiture at a time when celebrity culture was rapidly evolving His images broke from the formal conventions of earlier decades with candid unposed portrayals that revealed personality and attitude rather than polished facades Bayliss emphasized that Bailey’s work captured more than faces, it captured character and cultural energy in full bloom.

Though only four of the thirty‑six subjects are women and all four are models the portfolio famously skewed male reflecting the era’s focus on rock icons and masculine allure A commentary by Francis Wyndham noted that in the age of Mick Jagger “it is the boys who are the pin‑ups” underscoring the gendered aesthetic of the time.

Baileys list of sitters spans some of the era’s most illustrious names The Beatles’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney Jean Shrimpton P. J. Proby Vidal Sassoon Rudolf Nureyev David Hockney Susan Murray and even the Kray twins appear among the thirty‑six images Each portrait is a freeze‑frame of the cultural moment whether through style gesture or expression.

This discovery reopens conversations about the creative partnerships behind the work Hillman who later led the redesign of The Guardian in 1988 collaborated with Boxer to bring Bailey’s vision into a tangible form Yet until now that contribution remained obscured beneath the fame of the images themselves Said Bayliss it is Hillman’s underappreciated role in design and concept that makes this proof such compelling historical evidence.

As cultural historians look back at Swinging London “Box of Pin‑Ups” remains a vivid artistic document of sexual energy fashion forwardness and celebrity swagger The newly unearthed prototype deepens its mystique as a physical artifact bridging concept and production a snapshot of the artistic process at the moment it became an object for the world.

The proof has implications beyond photography The controversy over the Kray twins inclusion illuminated tensions between artistic freedom marketing considerations and ethical boundaries across art publishing That tension contributed to the cancellation of further editions and makes the proof not just rare but emblematic of the era’s cultural debates.

The market response is already intense Insider collectors and historians are expected to vie for ownership of what Bayliss called a one‑in‑a‑generation find The fact that it has emerged on the 60th anniversary of the project only amplifies its symbolic weight.

In sum this discovery revitalizes the legacy of a defining photographic collection by exposing the proof behind the myth The personal draft from Hillman’s archive restores a missing link in the creative narrative of Bailey’s “Box of Pin‑Ups” and offers a rare passage into the birth of a cultural icon