Mick Rock's unseen images of David Bowie in his transformative Ziggy Stardust days

Around 43 years ago, a man with whole load of make-up, a whopping fount of charisma and a song about some eight-legged creatures in space changed music and pop stardom forever. That man of course was David Bowie, and that year (1972, math-heads) was when Bowie introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona to the world. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust dragged us into a surreal, beautiful, glitter-bedecked alternative reality where girls could be boys, boys could be girls and everything was peculiar and beautiful. The man who was there to see all this glorious culture-shifting was photographer Mick Rock.

Mick became firm friends with Bowie, and in 1972-3 became the singer’s official photographer. A new book from Taschen presents Mick’s stage shots and backstage snaps from those two spectacular years, and are showcased in suitably spectacular style. The book, limited to 1,972 copies, features more than 50 previously unseen images housed in a lenticular hologram cover. A deliciously glam, bam thank you wham tribute to an inimitable man.