Philip
Townsend - Sorry you missed the 60s - The Limited Editions
(From
the press release)
After
lying hidden in a cupboard for several decades, photos from the
archive of the archetypical 60s photographer Philip Townsend have
finally been published in book form with an introduction by Andrew
Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones' first manager. The first title in
the series, Philip Townsend — The Limited Editions, is a
pictorial Who’s Who of the decade that includes little-known
images of pop icons such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The
Searchers and Cilla Black, not to mention personalities and
politicians that range from Frankie Howerd and Alec Guinness to
Yuri Gagarin and Harold Wilson.
Philip
Townsend's talent for capturing the zeitgeist was remarkable. Few
photographers could have produced such striking images of The
Rolling Stones, on the cusp of fame but lacking even a record
deal.
One book
cannot do justice to a vast archive of material that captures
musicians and statesmen, actors and royalty, soldiers, tycoons and
models. Townsend’s sensitive shots of the Aberfan disaster of
1966 deserve a volume of their own. That’s why Silver Shutter
Books will be publishing more work by Philip Townsend in the
coming months and years, beginning with his in-depth studies of
The Rolling Stones.
Digger
reviews the book.
Philip Townsend is
a much-respected and admired photographer, known for his photos of the
'great and the good' of the sixties, the beautiful people, upcoming pop stars and
models and the rock, TV and movie elite.
Philip is in the
process of publishing his catalogue of work in a series of books. In this volume, we
see some familiar faces in poses but also a number of photos featuring 'Joe
public' at work, rest and play, including reality shots of some
memorable events.
These photos are
from a period when style and innovation were prevalent, where class
barriers were breaking down and where there was a youth-driven
cultural explosion the like of which we haven't witnessed since.
Many of the leading movers and shakers are included in this first
volume, including The Beatles and The Stones.
Philip had a knack
with composition and 'choreography' of set-piece photos,
as is evident in a number of the Rolling Stones images and, for
example, the one of Susannah York and the
mods and Frankie Howerd on a skate board.
But he was also
master at capturing a moment or mood in an instant, such as with the
shots from the terrible Aberfan disaster, the contemplation of
President Nasser and Harold Wilson or the discomfort of Burton and
Taylor at being discovered by fans while dining.
Black
and white works better, as it always does in my view, in capturing
the essential raw ingredients of a scene without distraction. It
also serves to make things look more stylish and more vivid, I believe. There's only one
colour image in the whole book and this is not a bad thing.
The
simple narratives give context to the photos, although at the end of
the day it's the photos themselves that do most of the talking and
that's as it should be.
The
subject-matter is diverse, but the common link is the composition
and the clarity, as well as the constant reminder of what a stylish,
dynamic and important period this was. This
is an outstanding collection of images. For
fans of great photography who can appreciate the technicalities, for those who are interested in British sixties popular
culture and history or for those who simply enjoy beautiful and evocative
images, this is a must-have book.
There
are to be
future volumes and if this one is anything to go by they should be
eagerly anticipated.
Digger June 2009.
Learn
more/Order the book
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