Jim Marshall: Show Me the Picture: Images and Stories from a Photography Legend

I had seen plenty of Jim Marshall's music photography even before I had the first clue who he was. First were his many iconic images, like Johnny Cash flipping the bird for the warden at San Quentin State Prison, Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at Monterey Pop, Bob Dylan rolling a tire down a cobbled Greenwich Village street, and Janis Joplin with her bottle of Southern Comfort, all of which I absorbed through pop cultural osmosis, without even trying. Later came the covers of many beloved records in my own collection, like the Allman Brothers laughing and leaning on their stenciled flight cases, for At Fillmore East. Or the trippy shot, taken high above the stage, for the original Woodstock triple LP. An achingly gorgeous photo of Jimi in blue, from Hendrix In The West. Clapton, Baker and Bruce standing in front of a paisley-covered wall, on the back cover of Best of Cream. The Grateful Dead performing in the middle of Haight Street, used as the inside gatefold image for their Live/Dead album. And Jerry Garcia proffering a large snifter of brandy, on the cover of Farewell To Winterland, a particularly excellent triple vinyl Dead bootleg. But Jim Marshall was so much more than a great chronicler of some of my favorite musicians. Covering his entire career from 1959 through his death in 2010 and taking a deep dive into his archive of over 1,000,000 frames, this book makes the case for Marshall as one of the great photographers of the 20th century. The images just keep coming. The North Beach beatnik scene in his native San Francisco. Stunningly intimate portraits of jazz greats like Coltrane, Davis and Monk. Definitive shots from early folk, jazz and rock festivals. The very young Woody Allen, Dick Gregory and Carol Channing. Ogden Nash and William Saroyan. Stunning early-sixties street photography. Poverty in Appalachia. The civil rights movement, including the Mississippi Summer of 1964. Marshall's photo of Mrs. Fannie Lee Chaney, at the moment she learned her son James had been murdered at the hands of the Klan and the local police, is simply unforgettable. And that's just scraping the surface. The breadth and depth of this book are impressive. The packaging is first class, from a clever slipcase that mimics a 35 mm camera, to the impeccable print quality that makes the photos pop. The accompanying texts are excellent. Lead author Amelia Davis was Marshall's personal assistant for the last 13 years of his life, and Marshall left his entire estate to her. She paints a loving yet unsparingly honest portrait of Marshall, who was a complicated personality to say the least. The essays by Michelle Margetts, the last of Marshall's wives and lovers still alive, are similarly warm, clear eyed and illuminating of both the man and the work. Meg Schiffler, chief curator of the San Francisco Art Commission Galleries, illuminates Marshall's early career in San Francisco and New York and positions him within the larger cultural and political movements of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Marshall's friend, the author and music critic Joel Selvin, describes Jim's professional ascent as a participant-observer alongside and within the San Francisco psychedelic music scene, and his subsequent descent into addiction, gun violence and general insanity. And Karen Grigsby Bates writes movingly of Jim's largely unknown work in Appalachia and the Deep South. To summarize: come for the gorgeously reproduced, era-defining photography and stay for the texts. Between them you have an amazingly compelling and enjoyable overview of one of the great photographers of the twentieth century.

This is important piece of photojournalism that provides vivid detail and context to the music and culture of the 1960s and 1970s. It is so much more than a book on rock photography as it seamless weaves together music with historical events like the assassination of JLK, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, The Monterey Pop Festival, and striking images from the Civil Rights movement. Remarkable and Brilliant! So many great, iconic and rare captures of: Hendrix, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Cream, Buddy Guy, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Clapton, Frampton, Willie Nelson, Jerry Garcia, and the list goes on: What's most striking about this book is the realistic story-telling. So many photography books get it wrong- it is either too dense with content or you don't get enough of the back-story. This book hits the mark here, and many times, I felt more drawn into the story and going back and forth to the images. It gave me a sense of being there or if the image was just captured. This is a must-have for the rock photography or photojournalist hobbyist (and talk about a gift that won't get re-gifted or returned - this is it for that person). If you happen to also be a photographer, you'll find yourself seeing things through a different lens next time you go shoot. You'll find yourself drawn in and wanting more of SHOW ME THE PICTURE.. P.S. And if you do want more and have an INSTAGRAM account, follow JIM MARSHALL PHOTO where you will see bonus images in the gallery and fun insider info in INSTAGRAM stories!)

Wonderful book about his work

Jim Marshall took an incredible number of great photos. What is frustrating to me is there's been a tendency to print the same famous ones over and over. Those are great photos for sure, but there's so much more. I used to sit on Jim's living room rug and go thru the stacks of 8x10 prints that were doomed to never see the light of day. Fabulous photos which tell so much about that time and place. Marshall had an incredible eye and a feel for the essence of the moment. Amelia has done a great job of bringing some of those obscure photos to the fore. There are thousands more and I hope another hundred books are on the way. If you love this sort of direct and honest photojournalism you need to see as many Marshall photos as you can. Don't miss this book.

While I have pretty much every book of Marshall's photographs, this is a "must have" in my opinion. In addition to the beautiful printing and book jacket, Jim's photographs are the star of the show. Many new (to me) images I've never seen before. A great mix of Jim's legendary music photography, civil rights images and street scenes take you back to an era of not only the great music/musicians but the volatile 60's. The wonderful image of Wes Montgomery with John Coltrane is work the price of the book to me. Run, don't walk and pick up a copy of this gem.

I enjoyed it a great deal, but could’ve easily done without the proof markup photos, which I found not to contribute much

The essays on his background, and the addition of his earlier, non-music work are a plus in fleshing out the career of this iconic but troubled photographer. If you're just interested in his music work, he has other great books out that are specifically devoted to this. If you're interested in the broader arc of his multi-disciplinary career, this is a great book. About half of this volume is music-based, the other half is documentary and street photography.

Fabulous backstage access and a quick reflex with his Leicas set Jim Marshall apart from everyone else as the greatest chronicler of the ‘60s. The book is gorgeous. How can they sell it this cheaply?

Jim Marshall è uno di quei (pochi) fotografi in grado di scattare iconiche foto del mondo musicale. Ne ha raccolte una quantità incredibile attraversando gli anni migliori che il rock, ma non solo il rock, ha attraversato. Tutti i grandi musicisti a partire dagli anni '70 sono tutti dentro questo libro così come li ha, per sempre, immortalati l'obiettivo di questo signore. Le foto sono meravigliose, magari non tutte ineccepibili dal punto di vista formale ma senza dubbio sempre in grado di trasmettere la forza dei soggetti ritratti e della loro musica. Già la copertina riesce a far capire che razza di energia contengano queste foto. Per ogni amante della Musica (con la M maiuscola, si intende!) e della fotografia questo è un libro che, come pochi altri, da avere assolutamente.

Such a legend in the photography world and this book exhibits some of his best, a great book!

This book is great for those ones interested in music history and photography. A great set of Marshall's most emblematic photos are included.

Awesome book by legendary photographer

As far as I'm concerned, this book should be given to history students in school. This book IS history. Fantastic shots covering life (and music) from the post war period up to the 70's. Civil rights, JFK's assassination reactions, festivals, artists caught during down time and moments of pondering as well as simple photos of people walking the streets, riding the subway and smoking a cigarette. I loved the book, especially the music photos. Jim was one talented man. I'll now be on the look for any more books by Jim.