Photograph Description

Banned Pirelli photo by Duffy, 1973. On the 27th of October 1972 for the first time in Pirelli Calendar history, this image was banned. It was deemed too risqué even for a publication such as this. Derek Forsyth and Allen Jones were summoned to Pirelli’s head office in Chester square to explain themselves. The chairman of the company deemed the image too perverse and it was never published.

Duffy was one of the few photographers who was commissioned for three Pirelli calendars. His first two calendars were in 1965 and 1973 and his last shoot for Pirelli was also in 1973 for the Cinturato truck tyre calendar. Duffy worked with the pop artist Allen Jones and the airbrush artist Philip Castle. The airbrushing techniques used producing this calendar were incorporated on the David Bowie Aladdin Sane album cover in 1973. Photo Duffy © Duffy Archive