‘In ’74 I photographed the cannibals in New Guinea,’ said Bailey.
‘They treated me okay but they didn’t make you feel relaxed… I managed to escape unscathed though, I’m pretty good at that.’
The resulting images are due to go on display at the Daniel Blau gallery in London from Friday.
A gallery spokesman described the find as a ‘treasure’, adding: ‘Today indigenous peoples are gazed at – and possibly even envied by us – for the seemingly simpler and more understandable world they inhabit.
‘The nostalgic aura of Polaroid film intensifies this sense of longing for a more natural an primal way of life.’
The exhibition runs until 3 November at the Daniel Blau gallery, 51 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB.
Picture credit: Copyright David Bailey
