1983 Madonna Polaroids offered for $350,000

A set of Polaroids of Madonna taken in New York City in 1983 is offered at Manhattan Rare Books with an asking price of $350,000.

The photographs were taken by acclaimed portraitist Richard Corman in Madonna’s East Village apartment, just a few weeks before the release of her debut album.

 Madonna Polaroid Manhattan

Madonna had already released two singles when these shots were taken 

She was still a relative unknown at the time, although she’d released two songs (Everybody and Burning Up) that had become underground club hits.

Corman explained in an interview with i-D Magazine: “Recently when I was going through my warehouse, cleaning it out from the farthest corner, my mouth was wide open to find that these images were just sitting there. In perfect condition…

“If we did these pictures today there would be 30 people standing in that apartment. But it was just me and her, it was so simple.”

The Polaroids were published as a limited edition, standalone book titled Madonna 66 last year.

This sale features the original Polaroids housed in a custom designed case by artist Sjoerd Hofstra.

Madonna is both a trailblazer and the biggest selling female recording artist of all time.   

Demand is high for materials connected with her early career, when she exploded onto the scene in a whirl of fishnet stockings and controversy.

In 2014, four Polaroids of Madonna with close friend Martin Burgoyne in the early ‘80s realised $7,500.

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