On March 21, 1976, after a concert at the Community War Memorial Arena in Rochester, New York, four detectives and a local police investigator burst into the suite of the Americana Rochester Hotel where David Bowie was staying, seizing 182 grams of marijuana and arresting 4 people: Bowie himself, Iggy Pop, a bodyguard, a certain Dwain Voughns and a girl from Rochester, Chiwah Soo.

The four spent the night in jail and were released the following morning on bail of $ 2000 each. Bowie and Iggy Pop were registered with their real names: David Jones and James Osterberg, Jr. respectively. Three days later, David Bowie had to appear for trial, immediate and quick as is typical in the USA, at least for this type of crime and on that occasion the following mug shot was taken which was found many years later by an auction house employee, rummaging through the furniture of a retired police officer. The photo was later sold on Ebay for $2700.

It is incredible and almost inhuman how Bowie manages to look perfect even in a mug shot like this. If you have never had the pleasure, know that in 1976, in America, these photos were usually taken with old Polaroids and two headlights shone in your face while you have to hold the sign with the number and you are not sure how it will end.

I owe the story to Open Culture