€10,000 expected for U2 photo

WOULD you pay €10,000 for an old picture of Bono and the boys?

That’s how much a rare photograph of U2 taken by a world-renowned photographer and signed by the band is expected to fetch at auction today.

The picture, taken by Anton Corbijn, has remained unseen since their first shoot with the photographer in Sweden in 1982. Dutchman Corbijn has been credited with playing a key role in the development of their image from their ’80s youthful look.

The 22-year-old picture is expected to fetch between €6,000 and €10,000 when it is auctioned at James Adam & Sons Salesroom in Dublin.Jane Beattie, head of the fine art department, said: “The current work is of particular interest and rarity as it pre-dates the Death Valley photography used for the front cover of The Joshua Tree in 1986, and we believe it to be the earliest photo of the band by Corbijn to reach the auction market to date.”

The band are following in the footsteps of the leaders of the 1916 Rising after the Salesroom sold a copy of the Proclamation for the Irish Republic for €390,000 last week.

“We are delighted to be auctioning yet another piece of Irish history, albeit a little more modern than the Proclamation, and expect the photo to stir up a little ‘rattle and hum’ on the day,” said Ms Beattie.

Corbijn has photographed rock and roll legends and Hollywood stars including The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, REM and Cameron Diaz. His photographs have graced the pages of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone Magazine and Mojo, as well as album covers.

The current owner, who has put it up for auction, was given the photograph by U2’s designer Steve Averill. The black and white image shows the band standing in a field with long grass shoots rising above their heads.