2 album covers in our archive
The Smashing Pumpkins is featured in Behind the Covers' archive with 2 album covers from the 1990s. Released across Virgin Records, the artwork sits in the alternative, rock tradition. Each cover is documented in our archive with design notes covering photography, childhood, iconic, nostalgia, victorian, portrait. Below you'll find the full story behind each The Smashing Pumpkins cover — designers, photographers, label history, and the visual choices that defined the release.
Two California child models Ali Laenger and LySandra Roberts wearing fairy wings created one of the 90s' most iconic album covers. The image perfectly captured childhood innocence that contrasted with Billy Corgan's introspective lyrics.
Billy Corgan commissioned artist Yelena Yemchuk to create a Victorian-era tableau featuring two mysterious figures in elaborate period dress. The resulting photograph became one of the most hauntingly beautiful album covers of the 1990s, perfectly capturing the band's ambitious double album's themes of melancholy and grandeur.
