40 Years of Rock Concert Photos Featured at Backstage Auctions

1984 Stevie Ray Vaughan Concert Photo
Freeborn Hall - Davis, California

So much has changed in 40+ years of concert history. From the sound, lighting and theatrics all the way down to merchandise, non-smoking signs and that little thing called ticket prices. But the one constant among all this is this guy (or gal) in the pit, tirelessly aiming an above-averagely priced camera at the lead singer in the hope of getting that 'money shot'.

Countless books have been released over the decades, showing us jaw-dropping images so real, we can 'almost' experience the rush of being there. Live albums, posters, t-shirts, magazine covers...they have all benefited from 'The Photographer' without whom rock 'n roll would have never had a face. This week at Backstage Auctions, the 'Rock 'n Pop Auction' event hosts almost 400 lots of original concert slides, negatives and photos from the 1970s and 1980s, which if anything is a fitting tribute the artists 'behind' the camera.

David Bowie Concert Photo '80s

Over 100 lots have been submitted by British Photographer Philip Kamin, best known for his work with Genesis and the many books released under his name. Everything but a one-trick pony, Kamin covered anything from Rock to Punk and from Pop to Metal. 

Bob Dylan Concert Photo
Houston, Texas 1970s

Equally impressive are the 200 (!!) lots of slides and negatives from a pair of legendary Houston, Texas photographers; Larry Lent and Jim Townsend, who go back as far as 1970 and seemingly never missed a show in 20 years, be it at a stadium or hole-in-the-wall. Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Dylan, CSNY, Faces, George Harrison, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead....the list is endless, and so is the number of times you'll shake your head in disbelief at so much history and beauty

Jerry Garcia 1974 Concert Photo
Winterland - San Francisco, CA

Not only is all this a prime opportunity to add one-of-a-kind authentic photos to your collection, but nearly 95% of the lots are offered with a full transfer of rights, which means that the new owner can also explore commercial avenues with these wonderful images.

Larry Hulst started his career in the bustling Haight -Asbury district before moving to Colorado and we are honored to have an impressive collection of nearly 40 pre-matted, large prints from his archive, each and any ready to be displayed with pride


Last but not least, the auction offers several exclusive, high-end prints from legendary photographers such as Gered Mankowitz, Francesco Scavullo, Herb Green, Mick Rock, Godlis, Ebet Roberts, Kamen Rider, Richard Mann and Roberta Bayley.

1967 Jimi Hendrix - Gered Mankowitch
Signed Ltd. Ed. Photo

1973 Mick Jagger - Francesco Scavullo Photo

1978 Sex Pistols "Sid & Nancy In London" - Richard Mann
Signed & Numbered 6/100 Ltd. Ed. Print

Photos have proven to be more than just 'pictures'. They tell a story without words and let us be part of it without having to be there. Collectors are increasingly aware of the historic relevance, which is a good thing....after all, who can tell the story better than the person behind the camera?

Backstage Auctions' - 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is open for bidding November 3 - 11th, but is available now for previewing the entire catalog. VIP All Access Registration is FREE and only takes a minute or two.

View Now: Historic Photos, Slides & Negatives

The Rock 'n Pop Summer 2011 Auction

Backstage Auctions Offers Up Investment Opportunity with Photos, Image Rights

By Patrick Prince

One of the main attractions at Backstage Auctions’ Rock ‘n’ Pop Summer Auction on June 4-12, 2011, will be more than 350 auction lots of negatives and slides — classic rock artists ranging from Eric Clapton to The Doors — with a full transfer of rights.

Ted Nugent 

One hundred auction lots will be from the archives of rock ‘n’ roll photographer and author Philip Kamin. Backstage Auctions claims that Kamin only sold his photographs to the bands he toured with, the bands’ managers, their public relations firms, record companies, or bands’ merchandisers. The Kamin images up for auction have never been sold to newspapers, magazines or photo agencies. As a result, these photographs and their original rights have remained in Kamin’s possession for decades.

“I have had a lot of time to enjoy these images,” Kamin says, “and I want to make sure they end up in the hands of individuals who will cherish them as much as I have. Bringing them to avid collectors seems to make the most sense.”

The real golden nugget of this auction is that all of these images will be offered with a full transfer of image rights. According to Backstage Auctions, purchasing photographs, negatives and slides with the transfer of rights is becoming increasingly popular, as it represents a fantastic investment opportunity for any music collector.

Bob Dylan

“We have customers that have purchased similar lots from us in the past to produce limited prints for resale, larger-scale book projects in concert with the artists and hosting of the images with various agencies, such as Getty and Corbis,” says Jacques van Gool, founder of Backstage Auctions.

What should not be overlooked is the inclusion of negatives and slides (with full transfer of rights, of course) of lesser-known photographers, such as the late Jim Townsend and the late Larry E. Lent. And many of these images have never been used.

“Jim Townsend and Larry E. Lent were both Houston-based, independent, concert photographers, who were mostly active during the 1970s and 1980s,” van Gool explains, “and are locally best known for their contributions to Music News, Houston’s longest running local music magazine.”

Some of the Houston venues where Townsend and Lent took photos were Hofheinz Pavilion, Sam Houston Coliseum, Music Hall, The Summit, Astrodome and Rockefeller’s. 

Faces

“In the ’70s, concert photos were typically used by the existing music press,” van Gool says, “and all of those magazines — whether it was Creem or Hit Parader or Rolling Stone — either had offices on the East Coast or West Coast, and as a result, live photos that were used were typically from East or West Coast venues. Photos from venues in the middle (of America) were hardly used or seen, for that matter. These two photographers in Houston were really the only two who archived almost every band that came through town — and every major band made a stop in Houston just as much as they stopped in any other major city. The irony and the sad part of it was that there was no outlet for it. The Houston media was hardly interested in it. I would say that a good 99 percent of these images had never been seen.”

The auction also will include a number of vintage concert posters and signed memorabilia, including signed artwork by The Rolling Stones’ Ron Wood.

Other types of music memorabilia featured in the auction include:

Artist Signed Items

Concert Photos, Negatives and Slides

1960s & 1970s Concert Posters

Recording Reels & Dat Recordings

Record Awards & Plaques

Vintage Amps, 1960s Gibson-EB Bass Guitar

Unique Woodstock 1969 Memorabilia

Acetates, Test Pressings, Vintage Vinyl

Amazing collection of Ron Wood signed Rolling Stones Artwork

The line up of artist memorabilia reads like the who's who of rock and roll royalty, including but not limited to Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Yardbirds, Kiss, Ted Nugent, Journey, Boston, Kansas, Styx, Molly Hatchet, Rory Gallagher, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Jethro Tull and 100s more legendary 1960s, 1970s and 1980s artists and bands. Even the 1990s is represented by A-list pop artists such as Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez.

For more information about the auction or to obtain your VIP All Access pass, visit our auction page on our site. http://www.backstageauctions.com/catalog/auction.php

(This article originally featured on the Goldmine Magazine website. To view the original follow the link: http://www.goldminemag.com/?s=backstage+auctions&x=0&y=0 )