My Generation - The Glory Years of British Rock

Touring V&A exhibition visits The Public

An exciting series of photographs by Harry Goodwin, ‘My Generation: The Glory Years of British Rock’ will be displayed at The Public in West Bromwich from 21 October 2011 to 15 January 2012 as part of their forthcoming Art of Noise exhibitions programme.

Harry Goodwin was resident photographer on the hit BBC music show ‘Top of the Pops’ from 1964 to 1973, whose images captured the charisma and style of every chart-topping rock musicians of that era, both on stage and behind the scenes.

The touring exhibition from V&A features more than 60 photographs by Goodwin from the BBC’s archive files, creating a fascinating record of the mood and style of the ‘60s and ‘70s and the impact of its musical stars. The striking and memorable images include everything from a shocked Bob Dylan (temporarily blinded by Harry’s flash in punishment for grumpiness) to a dramatic shot of Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar with his teeth, and Paul McCartney pouring tea. Other artists include, Chuck Berry, The Who, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5.

Born in Manchester in 1924, Harry Goodwin started his working life in his father’s bookmaking business. His photographic talents were first put to use by the RAF during World War II. In the 1950s, Goodwin made photography his full time job; working on the beauty pageant and boxing circuits and getting his first front cover in the ‘Daily Mirror’.

In the early 60s he started work as a scene shifter for the BBC in Manchester. “I used to get the odd photo I could sell to the ‘Radio Times’. There was a 12-week pilot of a series called ‘Top of the Pops’ in 1964, and they needed someone to photograph the bands.” Harry’s flair for the job was soon evident, and over the next 10 years he would photograph some of the most famous and successful stars in the music industry.

In many cases the original footage of the performances is now lost and these photographs are now all that remains of performances by artists including Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and The Beach Boys.

Linda Saunders, Managing Director of The Public said,

“Top of the Pops was an iconic television programme, much loved by generations of people. The work of Harry Goodwin brings back to life the energy and charisma of the institutional show and will no doubt revoke the fond memories.”

My Generation: The Glory Years of British Rock forms part of The Public’s Art of Noise programme, a series of exhibitions looking at the significance of sound and music in the Arts. The exhibition runs from 21 October 2011 to 15 January 2012, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm and Sunday, 11am – 3pm and is free to visit.

For more information about exhibitions at The Public call 0121 533 7161 or visit http://www.thepublic.com/