Scenes of London life, as filmed by J. Roy Hunt in 1922 for the motion picture production Sherlock Holmes.
In the 1960s, Schatzberg was working for the biggest American fashion magazines and mingling with the world of Rock’n’Roll. He photographed the Beatles and dressed the Rolling Stones in drag. Dylan was still more of a folk artist. Many saw him as the successor to his mentor, Woody Guthrie. His attraction to novelty, however, famously led him to betray his fans and go electric.
Schatzberg met Dylan through Nico, the Velvet Underground singer and one of Schatzberg’s models. Dylan was an introverted and quiet person, but he quickly came to trust the photographer. Schatzberg had Dylan pose with a cigarette in his mouth, having him adopt Rock’n’Roll postures. One of the pictures would be used for the cover of Dylan’s 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde.
According to Schatzberg, Dylan might have been the most interesting subject he ever photographed. These photographs, known mainly in the Untied States, show the musician looking natural and sincere. With his black sunglasses, Dylan might know how to pose like a rock star, but the photographer, with his camera, captures something deeper: a fragility, and a gentleness. (read more)
On May 24, Bob Dylan celebrates his 72nd birthday - best wishes from here!
