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Ended

Cover to Cover

The Gary Burden Archive
20 – 30 June 2025

"Gary didn't just design covers—he understood the music, the moment, and the people. He made our work look like it felt."
- Jackson Browne

Gary Burden (1933–2018)
Since the late 1960s, Gary Burden has been one of the most influential figures in the visual history of popular music, revolutionising album cover design and shaping the aesthetic of a generation. As a pioneering art director and designer, Burden brought depth, intimacy, and storytelling to the packaging of records, transforming them into cultural artefacts. Through long-standing collaborations with legendary artists—including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, the Eagles, The Doors, and Crosby, Stills & Nash—Burden created some of the most memorable and era-defining album covers of all time.

"Gary Burden was the greatest album cover art director in the world. I am so thankful for the body of work we created together. He made it all worthwhile."
- Neil Young

Drawing from his deep roots in the Laurel Canyon artistic community and the counterculture ethos of the 1960s and '70s, Burden's covers reflected a spirit of authenticity and experimentation. His close creative partnership with rock photographer Henry Diltz gave rise to a uniquely warm, documentary-style visual language—one that continues to influence album art and graphic design today.

This auction presents a rare and extraordinary opportunity to acquire original mechanicals and concept designs from an artist whose vision helped define not just how we hear music, but how we see it. Each piece offers a tangible connection to a golden era of rock history, and to the man who gave it its unmistakable visual identity.

Auction highlights

Lot gallery

115 lots available

The Roxy Theater: An Original Logo Artwork by Gary Burden, 1973,

Eagles: Gary Burden's handwritten notes and script for the Desperado music video shoot, late 1972, Qty

Henry Diltz (American, born 1938): An Original Contact Sheet from the Eagles' Desperado shoot, late 1972,

Eagles: The original hand-drawn concept design by Gary Burden for the album cover for Desperado, 1973, 2

Eagles: An RIAA 'Gold' Disc Award for the Album Desperado, 1973,

Eagles: A thank you letter from the band to Gary Burden, 1973,

Henry Diltz (American, born 1938): A group of original Contact Sheets taken at the Corral Club, Santa Monica Concert, August 12th, 1973, 10

Eagles: An RIAA 'Gold' Disc Award for the Album On the Border, 1974,

Boyd Elder (American, 1944-2018): Black Horse Running, 1975,

Boyd Elder (American, 1944-2018): The lithograph used on the album cover for the Eagles' album One of These Nights, 1975,

Boyd Elder (American, 1944-2018): An Original Signed Artwork, circa 1970s,

Eagles: An album cover mechanical for One of These Nights, circa 1975,

Eagles: An album cover proof for One of These Nights, circa 1975,

Eagles: An album cover proof and display for One of These Nights, circa 1975, 2

Eagles: A Grammy Nomination Plaque for the Album One of These Nights, 1975,

Eagles: An RIAA 'Gold' Disc Award for the Album One of These Nights, 1975,

Gary Burden's Personal & Working Sketchbook 12 featuring 'The Mama Cass Story', and designs for Crosby & Nash, Terry Reid, Jackson Browne, David Cassidy, and Neil Young, Gary Burden (American, 1933-2018), circa 1975-1976,

Jackson Browne: A group of album cover proofs for both The Pretender and Jackson Browne, circa 1972 & 1976, Qty

Gary Burden's Personal & Working Sketchbook 13 and Sketchbook 15 featuring designs for Crosby, Stills & Nash, Stephen Stills, Crosby & Nash, David Cassidy, Bernie Leadon, Marcy Levy, Jimmy Webb, 38 Special, and America, Gary Burden (American, 1933-2018), circa 1977 & circa 1980, 2

Neil Young: A group of original photographic prints taken by Gary Burden (American, 1933-2018), mid-1970s, 11

Crosby, Stills & Nash: A group of album cover proofs and photographs from the shoot for CSN, circa 1977, 8

Gary Burden's Personal & Working Sketchbook 14 and Sketchbook 18 featuring designs for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby, Neil Young, Timothy B. Schmit, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Monkees, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Gary Burden (American, 1933-2018), circa 1983-1996, 2

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: A group of photographic material and mechanicals for the album American Dream, 1988, Qty

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Two original mechanicals for the album American Dream, 1988, 2

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Two album cover mechanicals and three printer's proof for American Dream, 1988, 5

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: A group of album cover proofs for American Dream, 1988, 7

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: An RIAA 'Platinum' Disc Award for the Album American Dream and a 'thank you' concept design, 1988, 2

Neil Young: An RIAA 'Gold' Disc Award for the Album Freedom, 1989,

Gary Burden's Personal & Working Sketchbook 16, 19, 20, 21 and 22, featuring designs for Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, Tony Joe White, David Cassidy, James Iha, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Neil Young (& Crazy Horse), Gary Burden (American, 1933-2018), circa 1988-1998, 5

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