EnglishAs the defining icon of rock and roll photography, Jim Marshall’s craft stems from his passion for the music, as well as people. In the midst of the most defining and daring times of pop culture, Marshall with his Leica by his side took to the streets and sought to tell the stories of voices unheard. As a visual chronicler laden with compassion and empathy, Marshall’s legacy lives on today through his indelible photographs which speak of history and time.
To continue his legacy, Amelia Davis, owner of the Jim Marshall Estate, is offering five limited edition 8×10 prints for $250 each, only available from October 14-21, 2020 at Leica Gallery Los Angeles. Never to be sold again. For pricing and purchasing inquiries, please e-mail info@leicagalleryla.com or call Leica Gallery Los Angeles at (424) 777-0341. A portion of the sales will benefit the Jim Marshall Fellowship in Photography at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Learn what prompted the inspiration for the print sale and the story behind Jim Marshall’s series through Amelia’s perspective.
1. Tell us the inspiration behind the title of your print sale, “You Never Know Where the Music Will Take You”.
Jim Marshall had a curious eye and was always looking at his surroundings no matter what the subject or event was that he was photographing. Jim is known for his music photography but, what a lot of people don’t know is that Jim photographed so much more. Often times when he was at a music show or event, he would come early & stay late to photograph outside of the event, the places, and the people. In the 60s, musical events or free concerts were the breeding ground for the Counter-Culture & Civil Rights Movements. The people at these events were open to change and Jim documented this era with his Leica (or two or three).
Jim Marshall went for the music but stayed for the history.
2. What initially sparked the conversation of hosting this print sale?
Many of the events that took place in the 60s are happening again, right now:
- Voter Suppression
- Income Inequality
- Racial Injustice
I wanted to visually show through Jim’s photography that we have been through this before and by looking back at the past we can gain insight & inspiration to use today and that by speaking truth to power, we too, can have a say in our future. Jim’s visual storytelling can be a good tool to use as a conversation starter and a way of trying to understand each other’s views in these polarizing times.
3. What is the story behind the 5 limited edition prints?
The 5 Jim Marshall images I chose are all-powerful imagery on their own. Jim’s photographs tell the truth without having to embellish it. A photograph can elicit beauty, calm, or peacefulness but it can also show anger, injustice & violence. This at times, can be hard to look at but by not shying away from the truth we can start to confront these issues head-on and maybe bring about change.
1963 & 1964 were important years in American History. Music and singing about the social protest was a way of getting these messages to the masses. The Newport Folk Festivals was a venue for these messages. At the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, Joan Baez along with Cordell Reagan, Leader of The Freedom Singers, and James Forman, Executive Secretary of the SNCC, conducted a trial March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom through the Town of Newport RI the month before the historic march lead by Martin Luther King Jr. in August 1963. 1964 was Freedom Summer a voluntary campaign launched in June 1964 to attempt to register to vote as many African-American voters as possible in Mississippi. Jim went down to Mississippi after three of the volunteers went missing, Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner and documented the registration efforts. He was also there when Mrs. Chaney was told that her son’s body had been found.
4. Out of the 5 limited edition prints, which speaks to you the most?
The elderly black woman wearing the button “One Man One Vote FDP (Freedom Democratic Party) speaks to me because it is about real people and the struggle for equality in all things. The black matriarch has always been the backbone of democracy and freedom fighting for equality. Her dignity and resilience show through the lines on her face. Jim always sought out the passion in people and saw that passion as beautiful no matter what the subject.
5. What advice would Jim Marshall have to offer photographers currently documenting today’s stories?
Jim was always honest to himself and especially in his photography. Jim never shied away from unconventional or difficult subjects. He never allowed his photographs to be used to exploit a subject or misrepresented in an editorial story. Jim gained the trust of all of his subjects and never betrayed their trust.
He would always say, “When you see my pictures, it is about the person in the photograph, not me, not the guy behind the lens… I want someone to see those people, not my picture of them… let the photograph be one you remember, not for its technique but for its soul. Let it become a part of your life a part of your past to help shape your future.”
Flash Print Sale
Only Available from October 14-21, 2021
The Jim Marshall Estate is offering five limited edition 8×10 prints for sale. A portion of the sales will benefit the Jim Marshall Fellowship in Photography at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Through the Center for Photography at the J-School, Ms. Davis has helped launch this campaign for the study of visual arts in Marshall’s name. All will be Estate stamped and come with a letter of Provenance. Each 8×10 print is $250 USD and has never been sold. These limited edition prints are only available from October 14-21, 2020 at Leica Gallery Los Angeles. For pricing and purchasing inquiries, please e-mail info@leicagalleryla.com or call Leica Gallery Los Angeles at (424) 777-0341.
Comments (0)