Credit: Mark DaviesOne of most famous props in the annals of rock history is about to go under the hammer. The giant inflatable pig tied to London’s Battersea Power Station that appeared on the cover of Pink Floyd‘s 1976 album, Animals, will be auctioned off next month as part of a U.K. memorabilia sale.
The floating pig, nicknamed “Algie,” is among the many props created for various rock acts by the Halesworth, U.K.-based Air Artists studio that will be offered for sale September 15 via Durrants auction house.
Other items going up for bid include an inflatable Babylonian woman that appeared onstage during served The Rolling Stones‘ Bridges to Babylon Tour, a giant pig head featured at Roger Waters‘ historic 1990 concert at the Berlin Wall, and props used by AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Iron Maiden.
Creator Mark Davies tells BBC News he decided to sell the props — which for years had been stored in his workshop — because he changed his artistic direction toward sculpture rather than inflatable pieces.
“I’m sad to see them go but they very rarely see the light of day and so I would be quite happy for someone else to take them for a walk,” the artist says. “The clear-out has been quite cathartic and brought back a lot of memories, but I do feel I’ve been there and done that now, and it’s time to move on.”
Waters designed “Algie,” and a dramatic composite photo of the 40-foot prop moored to the huge power station served as the cover art for Animals. During the photo shoot, the helium-filled “Algie” infamously broke free and floated thousands of feet in the air, causing flights at London’s Heathrow Airport to be canceled. The flying pig eventually touched down at a farm in Kent, England, and was retrieved, repaired and used to finish the shoot.
To find out more information about the auction, visit Auctions.Durrants.com or The-Saleroom.com.
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