For over 25 years, Getty Images, owner of one of the world’s largest photographic archives, sold stock imagery to news sites, publishers and corporations. Today, the standard-bearer is revisiting and rewriting its history with a move into web3 by converting rare imagery of 1970s music icons into digital collectibles.

This is the first time Getty is opening the time capsule, made possible in partnership with Candy Digital – a digital collectible platform that offers non-fungible token (NFT) buying and selling for sports, culture and entertainment fans.

The ‘70s Music & Culture Collection includes analog archival photographs that’ve never been seen by the public. The artists include Bruce Springsteen, Elvis, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Gladys Knight and James Brown.

“We have many customers looking to explore this space as part of their own work,” said Peter Orlowsky, senior vice president of strategic development at Getty Images. “We are poised to lean into our visual expertise and renowned archives, testing how digital collectibles evolve as part of web3.”

They were motivated to commemorate the musicians who defined music and the photographers whose work captured their history.  

“We hope this collection and partnership will give people another way to appreciate this iconic historical imagery,” Orlowsky said. “It allows us to reach even more photography enthusiasts beyond our corporate customers with the ability to own these images for personal use and through the blockchain.”

Candy Digital is offering fans the ability to mint an introductory image for free for a limited time.

“This underscores our commitment to store and provide access to important and impactful photographic records using blockchain technology,” said Scott Lawin, CEO of Candy Digital.