- Title: MUSIC-PINK FLOYD/PIG Pink Floyd's iconic Algie the Pig withdrawn from auction
- Date: 28th August 2015
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE-SEPTEMBER 26, 2011) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** INFLATED PIG VARIOUS PIG CRANES TO PIG IN THE AIR PHOTOGRAPHER PIG BY POWER STATION TOWERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORIGINAL ALBUM PHOTOGRAPHER, HOWARD BARTROP, SAYING: "It was quite tricky that day and very cold and of course famously after a day or so we had the problem where he floated up away from the building and was spotted by commercial pilots landing into Heathrow. He then floated off towards Kent, followed by a police helicopter, landed in a farm I believe and frightened all the cattle. Basically he was retrieved, patched up and put back in the air the next day so we could try and photograph him again." PIG FLOATING CLOSE OF ALBUM TO WIDE OF POWER STATION
- Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAA972PM8US45H42KMP208AFNRP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As one of the most iconic images of rock, Algie the inflatable pig which flew over London's Battersea power station for Pink Floyd's "Animals" album cover was set to be a star lot at an upcoming auction.
But days after British auctioneers Durrants listed it as part of a catalogue of inflatable props its maker was selling, Algie is no longer on offer -- going back to the band instead.
The inflatable, which broke free during the 1976 cover shoot grounding flights at Heathrow airport, has been withdrawn from the sale after props builder Air Artists offered it to Pink Floyd.
"The pig is going back to Pink Floyd. They want it home again," Rob Harries, owner of Air Artists, told Reuters.
Durrants had listed Algie among Air Artists' works, used in music concerts and promotions but now being cleared out, for its Sept. 5-15 sale drawing coverage from numerous media outlets.
"We made a list of all the inflatables that we weren't going to store anymore ... and the auctioneers jumped the gun a bit and started publicising the most iconic one," Harries said.
"I felt I'd better talk to Pink Floyd, which I duly did and they duly wanted it back, unsurprisingly."
Harries said Algie, which has a "big split" but could be repaired and displayed, would be returned to the group's management company. "There's often lots of talk of a Pink Floyd exhibition maybe this will be a spur for it to happen," he said.
Inflatables still in auction include Herman, the pig's head from Roger Walter's 1990 "The Wall" concert in Berlin and Freddie Mercury and Brian May caricatures for Queen's 1986 "The Magic Tour". Dominic Parravani of Durrants said the auctioneers had "no idea" how much the items would fetch.
Air Artists, whose work has been used by AC/DC and the Rolling Stones, is selling the items as Harries, after some 40 years of inflatable-making, now focuses on clay and wax sculpture. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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