Skip to main content

David Bailey Black and White Photography

British, b. 1938

At 15, the London-born David Bailey was jazz mad and Picasso loving but, being a dyslexic cockney, was booted out of school. Escape from gritty East London seemed unlikely until he picked up a Rolleiflex during his stint in the National Service. Three years later, in 1960, he was under contract at British Vogue.

Prodigiously talented, Bailey was also wildly charismatic and uncommonly pretty, a high-octane amalgam that no doubt fueled his meteoric rise. Soon, he was chronicling, and surfing, the cultural tsunami that transformed London in the Swinging Sixties, when young creatives from music, fashion, advertising, theater, film, TV and journalism toppled the British establishment to become the new royalty.

This was the moment when the seeds of celebrity culture were sown. Bailey snapped all these revolutionary aristos: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Michael Caine, Tom Stoppard and David Hockney. Each and every one looks impossibly dewy and fresh and brims with an entirely modern derring-do.

So, too, do “the beautiful birds,” as Bailey called the alluring models and actresses who defined that decade: the exquisite Jean “Shrimp” Shrimpton, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve. A number of them became his lovers, Deneuve his wife (he’s had four), for a time.

It was a wild ride for an East End lad and literally the stuff of movies. Bailey was the inspiration for the prowling fashion photographer Thomas, played by pretty boy David Hemmings, in one of the iconic films of that era, Antonioni’s Blowup.

But despite his playboy persona and lucrative work in fashion advertising, Bailey has always possessed real psychological depth and artistic ambition. He can snap like few others. His closest peer in spontaneity, insight and cool was Richard Avedon. Both preferred a white backdrop, strong lighting and a tight focus to capture that rare telling moment.

Someone shot with eyes shut is not an accident with Bailey but a revelation. To this day, he can’t explain how he works his magic, although he does liken it to shamanic conjuring. He makes no secret that he spends most of his time gabbing with his subject — he’s curious about everyone. Sometimes, the chatter is a seduction; occasionally, it becomes good-naturedly pugilistic. And then, in mere moments, the individual is sized and seized by his camera.

Browse David Bailey's revolutionary portraiture and fashion photography on 1stDibs.

to
2
15
1
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
12
8
4
4
4
11
5
11
6
3
20
17
13
12
10
10
5
4
4
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
12
12
9
9
5
36
1,321
1,118
822
766
14
1
17
3
Artist: David Bailey
OASIS

OASIS

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey OASIS, 2006 Archival Inkjet on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 50.8 x 50.8 cm Sheet: 58.4 x 58.4 cm Edition of 15

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Nude - Photograph by David Bailey  - 1980s

Nude - Photograph by David Bailey - 1980s

By David Bailey

Located in Roma, IT

Vintage b/w photograph realized by David Bailey in 1980s. Copyright and provenance: Playboy. Excellent condition.

Category

1980s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Bob Dylan, 1986 Lambda Silver Gelatin print on paper, framed Signed by the artist, on verso Sheet: 116 x 140 cm Edition of 10

Category

1980s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Mick in Fur Hood

Mick in Fur Hood

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Mick in Fur Hood, 1964 Platinum Palladium print on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 49.5 x 49.5 cm Sheet: 59.7 x 68.6 cm Edition of 25 + 1 AP

Category

1960s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

Miles Davis

Miles Davis

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

Music has always been a passion for David Bailey. As a teenager, he played the trumpet, thinking for a while that music - rather than photography - might be his future. Among his musical heroes is Miles Davis...

Category

1960s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Queen Live Aid

Queen Live Aid

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

Archival Inkjet on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 50.8 x 50.8 cm Sheet: 58.4 x 58.4 cm Framed: 66.5 x 66.5 x 4 cm Edition of 10 + 2 AP

Category

1980s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Paul McCartney [Mirror]

Paul McCartney [Mirror]

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Paul McCartney [Mirror], 1967 Silver Gelatin Print Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 43.1 x 43.1 cm Sheet: 50.8 x 60.9 cm Edition of 25

Category

1960s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Dizzy Gillespie, 1981 Archival Inkjet on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 36.83 x 46.78 cm Sheet: 42 x 59.4 cm Edition of 15

Category

1980s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Penelope Tree with Flowers

Penelope Tree with Flowers

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Penelope Tree with Flowers, 2022 Unique overpainted photograph comprising archival pigment print with hand embellished acrylic paint on pape...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Pigment

Patti Smith

Patti Smith

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Patti Smith, 1978 Archival Inkjet on paper Edition of 15 Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 36.83 x 47.76 cm Sheet: 42 x 59.4 cm

Category

1970s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Jean Shrimpton (box of pin ups)
Jean Shrimpton (box of pin ups)

Jean Shrimpton (box of pin ups)

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Jean Shrimpton (Box of Pinups), 1965 - printed 2009 Silver Gelatin Signed by the artist, on verso Accompanied by a COA 65 x 51 cm - sheet 90 x 90 cm - framed edition of 30

Category

Early 2000s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Alice Cooper, 1973 Archival Inkjet on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 36.83 x 36.86 cm Sheet: 42 x 59.4 cm Edition of 10

Category

1970s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Elton John

Elton John

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Elton John, 1971 Archival Inkjet on paper, framed Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 50.8 x 50.8 cm Sheet: 58.4 x 58.4 cm Edition of 12 + 3AP

Category

1970s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Catherine Bailey

Catherine Bailey

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Catherine Bailey, 2024 Unique overpainted photograph comprising archival pigment print with hand embellished acrylic paint on paper, framed Signed by the artist in penci...

Category

2010s David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Pigment

Penelope Tree

Penelope Tree

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Penelope Tree, 2022 Unique overpainted photograph comprising archival pigment print with hand embellished acrylic paint on paper, framed Sig...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Pigment

Kate Bush

Kate Bush

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Kate Bush, 1978 Archival Inkjet on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 36.83 x 36.83 cm Sheet: 42 x 59.4 cm Edition of 10

Category

1970s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Jarvis Cocker

Jarvis Cocker

By David Bailey

Located in London, GB

David Bailey Jarvis Cocker, 2010 Silver Gelatin print on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 24 x 29.5 cm Sheet: 30 x 38.4 cm Edition of 18

Category

2010s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Gerald McCann: Dress Designer 1965 Half-Tone Print Photo For David Bailey's Box
Gerald McCann: Dress Designer 1965 Half-Tone Print Photo For David Bailey's Box

Gerald McCann: Dress Designer 1965 Half-Tone Print Photo For David Bailey's Box

By David Bailey

Located in Bristol, CT

Photo Sz: 15"H x 13"W Frame Sz: 20"H x 18"W w/ green lacquer wood frame & lavender mat Gerald McCann, dress designer, is the Peter Pan of the rag trade: he is in his late thirties but, saucily sporting a Bud Flanagan overcoat, still looks a boy. He's a clever businessman with a clever tongue. He's a nice giggly and soft person, but he always surrounds himself with tough people! Gerald McCann (5 November 1931 – 26 June 2019) was a British fashion designer who was considered among the leading lights of the Swinging London fashion scene, alongside names such as Mary Quant, subsequently moving to the United States to continue his career with Larry Levine...

Category

1960s David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Related Items
Seascape V - large format photograph of monochromatic black white water surface
Seascape V - large format photograph of monochromatic black white water surface

Seascape V - large format photograph of monochromatic black white water surface

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

large scale photograph of mesmerizing monochromatic light reflections on water surface SEASCAPE V by Frank Schott 72.5 x 58 inches / 184cm x 147cm signe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Emma in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, April 1984
Emma in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, April 1984

Emma in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, April 1984

By Jonathan Becker

Located in New York, NY

Emma in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, 1984 Pão de Açucar, (Sugarloaf Mountain), Rio’s defining landmark looms in the background. Photographed by Jonathan Becker Contemporary 14" x 14.5...

Category

1980s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

Johannesbergkapelle, Mountain Chapel, black and white photography, landscape
Johannesbergkapelle, Mountain Chapel, black and white photography, landscape

Johannesbergkapelle, Mountain Chapel, black and white photography, landscape

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Black and white fine art long exposure landscape photography. Johannesberg chapel with the beautiful mountains and the traunsee in stormy weather with gigantic cloud, Traunkirchen, A...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Joan and Quintana Roo (Frame 27a.)

Joan and Quintana Roo (Frame 27a.)

By Julian Wasser

Located in New York, NY

Listing includes free shipping for unframed prints and a 14 day return policy. Joan Didion by Julian Wasser 20 x 16 inch gelatin silver print Edition 3 of 15 Signed on verso by Julian Wasser *Please inquire for international shipments. Quotes will be provided at cost via FedEx. Description - Julian Wasser started his career in photography in the Washington DC bureau of the Associated Press where he met and accompanied the famous news photographer Weegee – who would become a lasting influence on him. In the mid-60s Wasser moved to Los Angeles as a contract photographer for TIME, LIFE, and FORTUNE magazines and becoming internationally known as the go to guy for getting candid but memorably composed photographs. (His iconic images of Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston; Marcel Duchamp and Eve Babitz; and a young Jodie Foster are already classics.) In 1968 TIME Magazine assigned Wasser to go to the home of the young writer Joan Didion whose book Slouching Towards Bethlehem was becoming a literary sensation. “I’d read her fiction,” said Wasser. “and she didn’t miss a thing. She was such a heavyweight person.” Wasser shot Didion at her rented house on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, where she lived with her husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, and their daughter, Quintana Roo. “It was a nice, cozy house,” Wasser remembers. “And she was a very easy person to talk to...

Category

1960s David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Charlotte-Signed limited edition fine art print, Black and white photo, Sexy
Charlotte-Signed limited edition fine art print, Black and white photo, Sexy

Charlotte-Signed limited edition fine art print, Black and white photo, Sexy

By Ian Sanderson

Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

Charlotte - Signed limited edition archival pigment print, Edition of 5 This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta 315 gsm , Acid- and lig...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Black and White, Giclée, Archival Pigment, Pigment, Phot...

Orpheus #1 - Gelatin Silver Photograph Balanchine Ballet Classical Male Nudes
Orpheus #1 - Gelatin Silver Photograph Balanchine Ballet Classical Male Nudes

Orpheus #1 - Gelatin Silver Photograph Balanchine Ballet Classical Male Nudes

By George Platt Lynes

Located in Glenford, NY

George Platt Lynes 1948 Photograph #1 of Balanchine Ballet ‘Orpheus’. George Platt Lynes rare original vintage 1948 gelatin silver photograph (dated by the NY City Public Library) of nude dancers Francisco Moncion and Nicholas Magallanes in George Balanchine's iconic mid-20th Century ballet 'Orpheus'. Stamped on verso in dark blue ink at upper center, "GEORGE PLATT LYNES/145 EAST 52 STREET NEW YORK”. Photo shoot took place in NYC. Costumes and Set by ISAMU NAGUCHI. Photo is 7 5/8 x 9 1/4 inches, soft satin finish in excellent condition. This photograph is from Francisco Moncion's original collection given to him by George Platt Lyons. It is one of 14 different poses in the 'Orpheus' series. 8 different photographs are remaining for sale and are available on request. All are original Platt Lyons gelatin silver prints original to Moncion's collection and are stamped by the photographer. Photographs from this celebrated series are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Museum of Modern Art (MOMA, NYC), the NYC Public Library, and many university art archives. George Platt Lynes (1907–1955), was a gregarious American portrait, dance, fashion, and male nude photographer whose career spanned the late 1920s through the early 1950s. From age eighteen, Lynes entered the cosmopolitan world of the American expatriate community in Paris when he became acquainted with the salon of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He began photographing authors like Stein, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Colette and soon established himself as one of the premier fashion photographers in the Condé Nast stable, documenting the ballet companies of George Balanchine/Lincoln Kirstein, and pursuing a private obsession with seductive images of young male nudes rarely published in his lifetime. Orpheus represents a major 20th Century artistic collaboration between composer Igor Stravinsky, choreographer George Ballanchine, and artist/designer Isamu Naguchi. Orpheus is a thirty-minute neoclassical ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky in collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine in Hollywood, California in 1947. The work was commissioned by Ballet Society, later renamed New York City Ballet, which Balanchine founded with Lincoln Kirstein. Sets and costumes were created by Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi’s lyre harp from the production became the symbol of the New York City Ballet. Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his forty year career, choreographers George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins in the New York City Ballet created 22 major roles for Moncion including the Dark Angel...

Category

1940s Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Frida with Granizo, Version 2, Coyoacan - Limited Edition Black and White Photo
Frida with Granizo, Version 2, Coyoacan - Limited Edition Black and White Photo

Frida with Granizo, Version 2, Coyoacan - Limited Edition Black and White Photo

By Nickolas Muray

Located in Denton, TX

Frida with Granizo, Version 2, Coyoacan by Nickolas Muray is a limited edition platinum print featuring Mexican painter Frida Kahlo with her arm wrapped around her pet deer. Edition...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model MAYNARD KEITH #2
DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model MAYNARD KEITH #2

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model MAYNARD KEITH #2

Located in Glenford, NY

Rare early 1950s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of model MAYNARD KEITH. This is #2 of a series of 4 images of Maynard ...

Category

1950s Post-War David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

1960s Limited Edition Black and White Photograph, Martin Luther King, MLK, 13x19
1960s Limited Edition Black and White Photograph, Martin Luther King, MLK, 13x19

1960s Limited Edition Black and White Photograph, Martin Luther King, MLK, 13x19

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Martin Luther King (MLK), 1964 by Leonard Freed is an iconic black and white documentary photograph, a portrait of one of the most influential African American personalities and civi...

Category

1960s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment

Muscle Boy Photograph, Limited Edition 11/15, Harlem, New York City 1963, Signed
Muscle Boy Photograph, Limited Edition 11/15, Harlem, New York City 1963, Signed

Muscle Boy Photograph, Limited Edition 11/15, Harlem, New York City 1963, Signed

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Muscle Boy is an iconic image by Leonard Freed who was a pioneer in documentary photography. In this photo a boy flexes his muscles for the camera perhaps making a statement about...

Category

1960s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigme...

Summer 85 - Limited edition nude photo, Graphic, Sensual woman, Contemporary
Summer 85 - Limited edition nude photo, Graphic, Sensual woman, Contemporary

Summer 85 - Limited edition nude photo, Graphic, Sensual woman, Contemporary

By Ian Sanderson

Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

An original signed archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta 315 gsm paper by Scottish artist Ian Sanderson (1951- 2020) titled ‘ Summer 85 ' Young topless woman sunbath...

Category

1980s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, ...

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model GENE STAGGS #1
DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model GENE STAGGS #1

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model GENE STAGGS #1

Located in Glenford, NY

Rare early 1950s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of bodybuilder and model GENE STAGGS. This is #1 of two images of Stag...

Category

1950s Post-War David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Previously Available Items
David Bailey. Art Edition No. 1-75
David Bailey. Art Edition No. 1-75

David Bailey. Art Edition No. 1-75

By David Bailey

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Art Edition (No. 1–75), with the print John Lennon and Paul McCartney, 1965. The book and print are both numbered and signed by David Bailey, accompanied by a bookstand designed...

Category

2010s David Bailey Black and White Photography

David Bailey SUMO Art Edition Book by TASCHEN
David Bailey SUMO Art Edition Book by TASCHEN

David Bailey SUMO Art Edition Book by TASCHEN

By David Bailey

Located in Napa, CA

This SUMO-sized retrospective celebrates one of the world’s most influential photographers and the culmination of two years researching his archives. Gathering portraits from the 195...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Bailey Black and White Photography

Materials

Paper

David Bailey black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Bailey black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of black and white photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Bailey in archival ink, archival pigment print, ink and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large David Bailey black and white photography, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Cecil Beaton, Brian Duffy, and Michael Putland. David Bailey black and white photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,250 and tops out at $152,896, while the average work can sell for $25,496.
Questions About David Bailey Black and White Photography
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025
    David Bailey is famous for his work as a photographer. At 15, the London-born David Bailey was jazz-mad and Picasso-loving but, being a dyslexic cockney, was booted out of school. Escape from gritty East London seemed unlikely until he picked up a Rolleiflex during his stint in the National Service. Three years later, in 1960, he was under contract at British Vogue.

    Prodigiously talented, Bailey was also wildly charismatic and uncommonly pretty, a high-octane amalgam that no doubt fueled his meteoric rise. Soon, he was chronicling and surfing the cultural tsunami that transformed London in the Swinging Sixties, when young creatives from music, fashion, advertising, theater, film, TV and journalism toppled the British establishment to become the new royalty. This was the moment when the seeds of celebrity culture were sown.

    Bailey snapped all these revolutionary artists: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Michael Caine, Tom Stoppard and David Hockney. Each and every one looks impossibly dewy and fresh and brims with an entirely modern derring-do. So, too, do “the beautiful birds,” as Bailey called the alluring models and actresses who defined that decade: the exquisite Jean “Shrimp” Shrimpton, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.

    Find a diverse assortment of David Bailey art on 1stDibs.