Prince – Pre Fame
1100 Limited Edition

  • Published December 2017 by NJG
  • Size 250mm x 340mm
  • Cover Flame red hand-made slipcase, buckram finish, with black gloss enamel de-bossed titles. Interior hard back case, with mounted photo tip image
  • Pages 200
  • Images 74 black & white images, 8 full colour images, 18 contact sheets
  • Print 74 black & white images, 8 full colour images, 18 contact sheets
  • ISBN 978-1-5272-1662-4

In 1977 the photographer Robert Whitman received a call asking him to shoot a series of promotional shots for an unsigned 19 year-old musician, Prince Rogers Nelson. Whitman didn’t know much about the man the world would come to know simply as Prince, but having listened to an early demo of “Soft and Wet” on his car stereo, instantly knew he was going to be a star. The shoot saw Whitman photograph the young artist on the streets of Minneapolis and in the studio, capturing the rarest of events – Prince smiling. Prince ‘Pre Fame’ marks the 40th anniversary of this iconic shoot, offering a wry and honest commentary of Prince’s early style, writing and creative process.

Bringing together 84 works, 8 in colour, 18 contact sheets, a total of 648 images, new writings, the original 1977 Warner Bros press brochure and diary entries from Prince’s then business manager Gary Levinson. With the inclusion of a deeply personal and moving tribute from Spike Lee, where his passion for Prince is laid bare.

Visit