Bob Dylan’s First Album Released Fifty-Five Years Ago

Bob Dylan playing harmonica, New York City, 1961. © Ted Russell.

Fifty-five years ago on March 19th Bob Dylan’s first album was released, and yesterday I flew to Havana with Ted Russell’s photographs of Dylan for an exhibition at Cuba’s national photo gallery, Fototeca de Cuba. Bob Dylan NYC 1961-1964 opens in Havana on Friday evening, March 24th. The exhibition is organized in association with Govinda Gallery.

Bob Dylan with Mark Spoelstra in the basement at Gerde’s Folk City, 1961. © Ted Russell.

Russell photographed Dylan in his first apartment in New York City in 1961 and in performance at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village, before the release of his first album. These photographs from the exhibition depict the young folk singer at the start of a most remarkable career.