Sam Haskins

Kate Front Cover, 1963

Signed (verso in pencil) silver gelatin print, later 1980

Sam Haskins’ Kate Front Cover, 1963 is one of the defining images from his celebrated Cowboy Kate & Other Stories, a body of work that helped reshape fashion and photographic publishing in the 1960s.

Playful, provocative and effortlessly stylish, the photograph captures the spirit of Kate herself. Her oversized black hat, tousled blonde hair and direct expression turn the portrait into something closer to a character. She feels theatrical and spontaneous, with the wit and freedom central to Haskins’ visual language.

Published in 1964, Cowboy Kate & Other Stories broke with the conventions of the traditional photography book. Haskins used sequences, movement, graphic composition and storytelling to create a visual narrative. The book became an international success and won France’s Prix Nadar in the year of publication. 

Kate Front Cover sits at the heart of this story. The enigmatic blonde beneath the oversized black hat became the face of Cowboy Kate and one of Haskins’ most recognisable images.

This particular silver gelatin print is of exceptional rarity. It is believed to be the only known example of Kate Front Cover personally hand-signed by Sam Haskins. Haskins died in 2009 with only around 2.5% of his archive signed, making signed works from his photographic archive particularly scarce. 

More than sixty years later, Kate Front Cover retains its attitude, humour and visual impact. It remains an enduring image of 1960s photographic culture and, in this unique hand-signed form, an important collector’s work.

SIZE

12 x 16 in (30.48 x 40.64 cm) | Image 11.4 x 15.3 in (28.95 x 38.86 cm)

COA

Individually stamped and certified by the estate. Each print purchase comes with a certificate of authenticity.