A contact sheet featuring photographs of the late David Bowie taken by Helmut Newton will cross the block at Heritage Auctions.

It's set to be one of the headline lots of an April 17 photographs sale in Dallas, with an estimate of around $30,000.

The photographs were taken in Monte Carlo in 1983

The shoot took place in Monte Carlo in 1983.

Nigel Russell, Heritage Auctions' director of photographs, told the Daily Mail: "This contact sheet is a very significant piece.

"On the back of the contact sheet it is numbered one of an edition of 15 and as far as I know this is the first one that has ever shown up for auction…

 "Bowie had just released Let's Dance and Helmut Newton was one of the hottest photographers of the time, this contact sheet is a collaboration of two people at the top of their careers.

"There have been two or three single photographs from this contact sheet that have gone for sale and they have gone for $7,000 top, this is different."

The fact that no other copies of the contact sheet have surfaced (despite the numbering) could indicate that the run was never finished, making this a potentially unique piece.

The lot is also likely to appeal to a broad range of collectors, from art lovers to music fans - and could therefore sell for substantially higher than its estimate.

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