Never-before-seen photos of a jumpsuited Elvis Presley performing in Madision
Square Garden have come to light.
The photos were taken in 1972 by George Kalinsky, the official photographer
of the famed arena, the singer's estate said Wednesday. Kalinsky went backstage
to meet Presley.
"He was electrifying in his white jumpsuit, with his cape on," Kalinsky
remembered. "He was quite humble, but he had an aura. There are very few people
who have triple-X charisma, and Elvis was one."
Kalinsky came across the photos while working on a campaign for a billboard
company called "Great Moments in New York.¡±Now one of them is on display as part
of the campaign on a three-story billboard atop the Virgin Megastore in Times
Square; it shows The King glancing up, his outstretched arms holding the cape of
his glittering jumpsuit.
Kalinsky needed to get permission from Elvis Presley Enterprises, the
business arm of the performer's estate, to reproduce Presley's image for the
campaign. The estate asked if he had any more photos, and Kalinsky came back
with about 40 unpublished images from Elvis¡¯second-night performance at the
Garden in 1972, said Kevin Kern, spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Kern said a team of archivists well-acquainted with publicized images of
Presley were quite impressed with Kalinsky's photos.
"What came from their mouths was 'Wow!'" Kern said. "These are very crisp,
clear, professional photos of Elvis. It's such a rare find."
The collection will be displayed at Graceland starting Memorial Day weekend
as part of "Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access," an exhibit that will also feature more
than 50 of Elvis¡¯famous jumpsuits.