Large limited edition 33 x 49 archival pigment print of Prince by photographer Robert Whitman in 1977, professionally adhered to a floating metal mount, numbered 1/1, signed on the back in black felt tip, “Robert Whitman, AP, ‘Prince,’ Minneapolis 1977.” The print depicts Prince as a 19-year-old musician seated at a piano in the home of his manager, Owen Husney. In fine condition, with some minor wear to the frame.
This image can be found in Whitman’s 2017 limited edition photography book Prince: Pre Fame, a 40th-anniversary visual celebration of these iconic Minneapolis portrait sessions, which identifies the photo as deriving from ‘Roll 12.’
This photograph was captured during one of three photo shoots that photographer Robert Whitman made of Prince in 1977 for an introductory press kit aimed at potential record companies. These resulting photos, Prince’s first with a professional photographer, mark an instrumental moment in his career. Whitman photographed Prince in his Minneapolis studio, at manager Owen Husney’s Linden Hills Boulevard home, and on the streets of downtown Minneapolis, including in front of 'The Music Wall' mural painted on the side of the Schmitt Music store. Only 15 copies of the press kit were ever produced, and the photographs from these sessions have rarely been seen.
