Kate Moss in Marrakech, Morocco (1993). Photos by Albert Watson

Photographs of a naked Kate Moss, one of the world’s most recognizable supermodels, will go under the hammer today in a sale that is expected to fetch nearly $45,000.

A contact sheet of black-and-white photographs enlarged to a size of 7 feet shows the iconic supermodel nude and hunched over. Taken in the city of Marrakech in Morocco in 1993, the shots from US photographer Albert Watson show a 19 year-old Moss who had just begun to skyrocket in the fashion and modeling worlds. She has since become one of the most photographed women in the world.

Both specialist collectors and die-hard Moss fans are expected to start a bidding war on the iconic images, which will undoubtedly drive the final sale price to the upper ends of expectations. According to Philippe Garner, Christie’s international head of photograph sales, the photos are well worth it.

“It’s an image that appeals far beyond the specialist world of photography,” Garner said. “Kate Moss is one of the lasting emblems of this age’s ideal of beauty.”

Images of Moss have so far done very well at auction, with many claiming these particular photographs are a good investment because of the model’s appeal. One photo from the Marrakesh shoot already sold at Christie’s in 2007 for a whopping $75,000, and a bronze of the model from artist Marc Quinn was sold in 2008 for a record $605,000.