Rare group of four original color 3.5 x 4.25 Polaroid candid photographs of Tupac Shakur from the collection of his friend Desiree Smith, taken in the visiting area of the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. One photo shows Tupac making a "W" symbol with his right hand, symbolizing his west coast origins, annotated in the lower border in purple ink by Shakur, "Aug 6." A second photo shows him with Desiree Smith and another woman, annotated in the lower border in black ink by Shakur, "Pure Joy, Oct 1, 1995." The other two, not annotated by Tupac, show him posing with Desiree Smith. In overall fine condition, with some scattered light stains and scuffs. Provenance: Property from the collection of Desiree Smith, Bonhams, 2015. Shakur had begun serving a sentence at the Clinton Correctional Facility in February 1995 after being convicted in a sexual assault case. His album Me Against the World was released a month into his sentence and made an immediate impact on the charts, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Tupac's confinement proved an important period in his artistic development, as he took the time to read philosophical works including many by Niccolo Machiavelli, which inspired his pseudonym 'Makaveli.'
