This exhibition comprises of a selection of the photographs from He was a wild one, previously shown in New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, along with some new student work.
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 the New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery show were 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 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).
The Council Chamber, The Old Fire Station
Dates: From Tuesday 28 February 2020
Opening hours: Viewings by appointment only.
Admission: Free
Venue: The Council Chamber, The Old Fire Station, University of Salford, The Crescent, M5 4NL
#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.
