He was a wild one

New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery: 16 September 2019 – Friday 17 January 2020
Exhibition extended: Council Chamber, University of Salford – from Tuesday 28th February 2020. See below for visitor information.

He was a wild one draws together British music photography from the 1950s and 1960s, from the Open Eye Gallery archive in Liverpool and the University of Salford Art Collection.

The works in this exhibition have been selected by local residents from across Greater Manchester; all of whom were young people during the era. Working with Creative Producer Liz Wewiora, members of the Cross Acres Community Centre and the Many Hands Craft Collective have researched and discussed the archive images through a series of workshops; and have shared their personal memories and recollections of the vibrant music scene of their youth.

Photographs from Open Eye Gallery include works by Harry Hammond and the F Beat Archive. London-born Hammond (1920 – 2009) was the primary photographer for the New Musical Express (NME) magazine from the early 1950s – covering every trend from swing, jazz and skiffle to ballads and calypso. He quickly embraced the emerging rock-n-roll scene and became best known for this body of work, capturing the iconic energy, fashion, styles and personalities of the time.

From the University of Salford Art Collection, photographer Harry Goodwin (1924 – 2013) followed a similar trajectory. Born in Fallowfield, Manchester, Goodwin worked as a scene-shifter at the BBC Manchester Studios, alongside photographing beauty pageants and boxing matches. This led to an opportunity in 1964 to join BBC’s Top of the Pops as a photographer, where he captured almost every single Top 30 Act until 1973. Through the following decades he continued to capture some of the biggest acts of the time – including The Beatles playing at the Apollo, Manchester, and Blondie headlining at the University of Salford’s Maxwell Hall.



The project is part of Together We Move, an ongoing community engagement programme which celebrates Everything I Have Is Yours – a new artists’ film commission by Ben White and Eileen Simpson (Open Music Archive) currently on display at Salford Museum & Art Gallery (until 3rd Nov). The film, co-commissioned by the University of Salford Art Collection, looks back to the first decade of the UK pop charts (1952 – 62).


Council Chamber, The Old Fire Station, University of Salford

Due to popular demand, a selection of the photographs from He was a wild one will be exhibited at our Council Chamber building in an extended run. This iteration of the exhibition also includes contemporary music photography from current BA Photography students, submitted in response to the show.

Dates: From Tuesday 28th February 2020
Viewings: by appointment only
Admission: Free
Venue: Council Chamber, The Old Fire Station, University of Salford, M5 4NL

New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery
Dates: Monday 16 September 2019 – Friday 17 January 2020 (date extended)
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm.
Christmas closure: Wednesday 25 December 2019 – Wednesday 1 January 2020.
Admission: Free
Venue: New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, University of Salford, University Road West, M5 4BR

#hewasawildone #togetherwemove


Thanks to:

Open Eye Gallery for their partnership and archive loans, Northward Housing & Age UK for supporting the community engagement programme, and University of Salford student Ruby Ramelize for her support during the workshops.