Aretha Franklin, New York City, 1960

$900 ~~$1200~~ In stock

After signing with Columbia Records in 1960, Aretha Franklin was weaving her gospel musical roots into a jazz-influenced pop-oriented sound inspired by artists like Sam Cooke and Dinah Washington. In August 1960, when Don Hunstein took this early photo of the future queen of soul, Aretha Franklin was 18 years old, her lifetime of hits still on the horizon.

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Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 4 reviews)

Ryan ★★★★★ Oct 22, 2026

The way this photo captures Aretha’s transition from gospel to that jazz-pop sound is incredible—you can almost hear the influence of Sam Cooke in her expression. The archival quality feels like a real piece of music history, not just a poster.

William C. ★★★★★ Oct 21, 2026

The grain in the black-and-white print captures Aretha’s expression so perfectly, it feels like I’m right there in that 1960 studio session. The archival paper has a nice weight to it, too—not flimsy like some cheap posters I’ve bought before.

John N. ★★★★★ Oct 20, 2026

I framed this photo in my living room, and the silver gelatin print brings out such depth in her expression from that 1960 Columbia session. It feels like a real piece of music history hanging there.