Before she became a global music icon, a young woman named Madonna Louise Ciccone was living and working in New York City. In the summer of 1982, at age 24, she was building her music career. Photographer Richard Corman visited her apartment on the Lower East Side to take pictures. This was a moment before massive fame changed everything.
Richard Corman shared what it was like meeting Madonna for the first time for the photo shoot. He went to her building on the Lower East Side. Before he could go inside, he had to use a phone booth across the street to call her. She told him clearly that he needed to wait for her to alert the other people in the building. This was because there was a lot of illegal activity happening right outside, on the steps and on the ground floor. Madonna made sure everyone knew he was supposed to be there because she was not involved in that activity.
Once he was let inside, the future pop star welcomed him into her apartment. She offered him black coffee and chewing gum served on a small silver-plated tray. This simple offering was part of his first impression of her. After this introduction, they began the photo shoot. They moved around her apartment to find different spots for pictures. Corman photographed her in her small kitchenette, standing near the stove, and also sitting on her desk chair. The setting was her actual living space at the time.
.
