ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

B.B. King & Others In R&B Photo Exhibit

Published on

B.B. King In London
Photo by: Estate of Keith Morris/Redferns)

Here’s a striking photograph of B.B. King in action on stage that forms part of an exhibition currently running at the International Centre of Photography in New York. The Early Years of Rhythm and Blues is a collection of some 50 black and white images taken by Houston-based photographer Benny Joseph, from the Documentary Arts Collection.

The photos, curated by Alan Govenar, chart the rise of R&B music and some of its key artists and settings in the 1950s and ’60s. The Dallas-based Documentary Arts, Inc, was founded in 1985 to offer new perspectives on historical and cultural issues, and has donated the collection to ICP.

The above image shows B.B. on stage at the City Auditorium in Houston in 1962; below, we see R&B singer Della Reese performing in the same city.

Here’s an evocative time capsule photograph showing Houston’s Club Matinee in 1957, with a billboard for the local R&B station KCOH above it and a vehicle further promoting the sound of “The Big Voice”:

The exhibition also features Joseph’s images of Lightning Hopkins, Junior Parker and Mahalia Jackson, and his pictures of other such promiment figures in African-American culture such as Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall and Barbara Jordan.

Gallery hours for The Early Years of Rhythm and Blues at ICP, in Jersey City, New Jersey, are 10am-5pm until 16 January, but by appointment only. For location details and to contact ICP, click here.

Format: Union Jack flagUK English
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Billy Idol - Rebel Yell LP
Rebel Yell (40th Expanded Edition) (Marbled Limited Edition) 2LP
ORDER NOW
Def Leppard - Pyromania 2LP
Def Leppard
Pyromania 2LP
ORDER NOW
The Who - Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
The Who
Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
ORDER NOW
Keane - Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
Keane
Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
ORDER NOW
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary (Limited Edition 3 x 7" Box Set)
ORDER NOW
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
ORDER NOW
uDiscover Music - Back To Top
uDiscover Music - Back To Top