Los Angeles-based photographer Ron Raffaelli’s photographs of Led Zeppelin are some of the best known images of the band’s earliest years. Raffaelli shot the band’s first studio session, for example, as well as taking hundreds of photographs of the band performing live in Birmingham in the UK on June 13, 1969.
The estate of Raffaelli, who died in 2016, has been selling prints of his best-known works, but many of his Led Zeppelin negatives were lost for decades.
That changed in 2023 when Los Angeles gallery owner Sam Milgrom discovered a plastic storage bin containing 26 sheets of Raffaelli’s film strips with 1,300 negatives of Led Zeppelin photographs.
“I was both shocked and elated to realise I was looking at Ron Raffaelli’s lost negatives of Led Zeppelin’s first studio shots from 1969 and live images from the 1969 UK tour,” Milgrom tells LedZepNews.
“These negatives had been missing for nearly 50 years from the archive. These images, especially the studio photos were not just historic but masterfully lit and staged,” he adds.
The rediscovery of the negatives led to previously unseen images by Raffaelli being made available as prints, as well as the inclusion of the images in “Becoming Led Zeppelin”.
Some of Raffaelli’s photographs will now be shown in the exhibition “Becoming Led Zeppelin: The Rise of the Heaviest Band of All Time (1966–1977)” which will be held from March 6 to April 5 at Milgrom’s Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles.
Milgrom’s discovery of the negatives happened in early 2023, he explained, following a promising lead from a photographer he represents.
“He knew someone who was in possession of a box of Led Zeppelin negatives and asked if I would be interested in seeing them? I said definitely,” Milgrom says.
“When I phoned the seller, he told me this story: He was working at a skateboard shop in LA and a coworker had a box of Led Zeppelin negatives that he didn’t want – so they swapped an autographed board for the negatives. He made a few prints from the negatives which he used to impress girls at school. He hadn’t done anything with them for many years.”
The seller brought the plastic storage bin containing the 1,300 images to Milgrom’s gallery, where he realised the scale of the discovery.
“I looked at the images on my lightbox with a magnifying loupe. I immediately knew what I was looking at,” Milgrom recalls.
Milgrom purchased the box of negatives in 2023 which led to a connection to Bernard MacMahon, the director of “Becoming Led Zeppelin”. At the time, the film was being edited following the 2021 premiere of an initial cut of the film.
“The director had been working with the estate [of Raffaelli] but only had access to contact sheets and these newly resurfaced negatives would give them much more to work with,” Milgrom explains.
Raffaelli’s rediscovered photographs can be seen in “Becoming Led Zeppelin”, including in sequences where slightly different photographs of the same band members are shown in quick succession, producing an animation effect.
The rediscovery of the negatives means that Raffaelli’s original studio shoot of Led Zeppelin in his Melrose Avenue studio can now be enjoyed by fans through print sales, exhibition and through their inclusion in “Becoming Led Zeppelin”.
led zeppelin is the only greatest band ever I am a true long haired hippie who is still stuck in the 70’s and dam proud of it
You and me both.
Rock On!
Amazing
OMG. 😳
Led Zeppelin is Rock And Roll, Will Always Be #1.
That morning on the radio a song came over that changed me forever. Communication Breakdown still rings in my head.
Any pictures of my Dad (Ron) with John Bonham with the Triumph chopper he built in 72 aka “the sunset chopper”
https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/led-zeppelin-drummer-john-bonham-s-custom-triumph-sunset-tripper-chopper-ridden-in-the-epic-documentary-film-the-song-remain/a/997027-2865.s
Always good news finding anything new or old by led zeppelin
Zeppelin did not invent heavy metal,Blue Cheers version of Summertime Blues beat them to the punch,but stood the test of time (and followup hits) better than Blue Cheer.
Just Saw the 2025 movie 5 stars 🤩😍🤩🤩
I loved the New LED Zeppelin documentary 2025
Did Jimmy Page make a deal with the devil?
We’re not sure what Jimi got. But the devil got guitar lessons.
Did they a pack with the devil!!? Are you kidding, the entire music industry did. Who’s crib do you think this world is. There is a place off Malibu Canyon road where you park and walk off road a little and down to a concave. You’ll find the heads of sacrificed small animals. An makeshift alter, and lots of weird vibes. The person I came with told me that this is the spot where record company executives would gather to worship Satan. No kidding. Back in 1984 I was at the Rainbow bar and grill in West Hollywood when there it was, the Satanic Bible. A cute rocker chic was reading it at her table and swore by it. Satan does pay dividends. Just look at all those platinum record sales and sold out stadium tours. But you’ll have to give up your relationship with God first and that’s one decision God will hold for forever.
Saw Zep live at Grande Ballroom in Detroit 1969.
Have had a fantastic life and always fond memories of their first album.
Wish I had brought along a camera.
Ken Porter
Great. How much will we mere mortals have to pay to see these photos?
Do you know why Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time? One reason is they haven’t recorded one single song since 1980 and you can still hear their music on the radio whether it’s on a rock station, R&B station, a country station it does not matter any given time anywhere around the world. that is something no band can claim except for the greatest band of all time, Led Zeppelin.
I know, I live just 2 miles from Robert Plant and about 8 from Mrs Pat Bonham on the banks of the Severn in Worcestershire. However, Jme Patrick Page is my forever crush, I remember an older lad mentioning his guitar 🎸 skills on the school bus. That was it for me. No one on gods earth like him and never ever will be
I am so excited to see these rare pieces of History! What an honor iit is, for Musichead to house and unveil this series.
I agree! This is so important and incredibly exciting! How someone wasn’t interested in a 1,000 LED ZEPPELIN negatives just doesn’t seem possible. Like everything else that’s been leaked and when, to me it seems to always point in the same direction… Hint hint.
It never ceases to amaze me how vital original LED ZEPPELIN items surface right around an official release of some kind. These negatives being a perfect example with the documentary just being released. First, the 1973 soundboard tapes that really boosted the trading network’s activity, not to mention the CD bootleg market. Then the 1980 soundboard tapes, only to be followed by the 1975 gems. Page is a marketing master. I pray for the day he releases 06/21/77. It might kept for “the best for last”, but something tells me since there hasn’t been a 1977 official release yet, it might be coming sooner than later!
lost after 50 years now they have just been found marvellous believe that and you will believe anything
First Led Zeppelin is my favorite. Got to see them play the Physical Graffiti tour. I think it was 1976 or 77 the are great live another great band live I saw was the Stones in 1972. Mick Taylor was the man. There are three bands that their music will play long after there gone. Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones.i loved the 70es
I have hundreds of slides and hundreds of negatives.Cruz MONTOYA Private eye photography.
Becoming Led Zeppelin was a great movie.
Being Led Zeppelin, would be a great Sequel (Or Part II in the LZ story)
And Led Zeppelin, What once was (Part III…Post Bonzo Zeppelin including and up to the O2 Arena Concert and the Kennedy Center Honors.
I just want to get you the best thing going on in the newed of my life I love led zeppelin albumsi want me to do something