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Prince, At Piano, 1977

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  • Print Details

    About this photograph

    Prince during the photo session for his first press kit in 1977.

    In 1977, Minneapolis music manager Owen Husney and his partner Gary Levinson discovered 19-year-old Prince Rogers Nelson and promptly signed him to a management contract to begin pursuing a record deal. To entice photographer Robert Whitman to take photographs of Prince for a press kit aimed at potential record companies, Levinson came by Whitman’s apartment to play him an early version of “Soft and Wet”. Whitman photographed Prince in 1977 during three separate photoshoots - in his Minneapolis studio, at Husney’s home and around downtown Minneapolis, including in front of the music mural on the side of the Schmitt’s Music store. These photos capture the emergence of Prince's unique style and persona, marking the rise of one of the most important musicians of the 20th century.

    Print sizes and editions 

    16” x 20” - Edition of 25

    20” x 24” - Edition of 15

    30” x 40” - Edition of 10

    Print type

    Silver gelatin print

    Paper type

    Ilford Fiber paper

    Signature

    Hand signed in ink by photographer

    About the photographer

    Robert Whitman explored his passion for photography while traveling the world after college. He found that with his camera he was able to experience people and places he never would have encountered. In 1977, Whitman was approached by Prince's manager to photograph the singer, who was 19 at the time and in the midst of recording his first album, for a brochure to send to record companies in hopes of getting him a contract. The resulting photos show a rarely seen era of Prince. 

    © Robert Whitman. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Print Details

About this photograph

Prince during the photo session for his first press kit in 1977.

In 1977, Minneapolis music manager Owen Husney and his partner Gary Levinson discovered 19-year-old Prince Rogers Nelson and promptly signed him to a management contract to begin pursuing a record deal. To entice photographer Robert Whitman to take photographs of Prince for a press kit aimed at potential record companies, Levinson came by Whitman’s apartment to play him an early version of “Soft and Wet”. Whitman photographed Prince in 1977 during three separate photoshoots - in his Minneapolis studio, at Husney’s home and around downtown Minneapolis, including in front of the music mural on the side of the Schmitt’s Music store. These photos capture the emergence of Prince's unique style and persona, marking the rise of one of the most important musicians of the 20th century.

Print sizes and editions 

16” x 20” - Edition of 25

20” x 24” - Edition of 15

30” x 40” - Edition of 10

Print type

Silver gelatin print

Paper type

Ilford Fiber paper

Signature

Hand signed in ink by photographer

About the photographer

Robert Whitman explored his passion for photography while traveling the world after college. He found that with his camera he was able to experience people and places he never would have encountered. In 1977, Whitman was approached by Prince's manager to photograph the singer, who was 19 at the time and in the midst of recording his first album, for a brochure to send to record companies in hopes of getting him a contract. The resulting photos show a rarely seen era of Prince. 

© Robert Whitman. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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