© Royal Mail
This month to celebrate the launch of its brand new range of David Bowie Stamps the Royal Mail have sent 52 special sets into space.
The launch is a homage to Bowie's immortal film role in The Man Who Fell To Earth directed by Nicolas Roeg in 1976. The special First Day Covers, feature a full set of album cover stamps. Fans who correctly guess where 'the stamps that land to earth' land can win one of the limited edition First Day Covers.
52 was chosen as it represents the total span of Bowie's professional recording years before his death, aged 69, in January 2016. The stamps have been postmarked with a special edition red handstamp of the lightning bolt from the cover of Bowie's Aladdin Sane; the iconic image created by music photographer Brian Duffy in 1973 - fondly nicknamed the 'Mona Lisa of Pop'
© Royal Mail
This the first time Royal Mail hasdedicated an entire stamp issue to an individual music artist or cultural figure.
The main range of stamps feature six iconic album covers from throughout Bowie’s career. Hunky Dory 1971, Aladdin Sane 1973, 'Heroes' 1977, Let’s Dance, 1983, Earthling 1997 & Bowie's final album Blackstar, 2016.
Completing the set, four stamps show Bowie in action performing live on tours across four decades; The Ziggy Stardust Tour, 1973; The Stage Tour, 1978; The Serious Moonlight Tour, 1983; and A Reality Tour, 2004.
These stamps are available for sale from the Royal Mail
© Duffy
At Rockarchive we are proud to have available for sale one of these iconic images as a fine art print.
This album cover image for Aladdin Sane was taken in Duffy's London studio in 1973 and was the second session he shot with David Bowie. The teardrop on Bowie's collarbone was airbrushed by Philip Castle and the make-up applied by Pierre La Roche.
Taken from the original 1973 negative, these official Duffy Archive prints are open edition and authenticated with the official Duffy Archive estate stamp.
This print is available to buy here for £295
