Govinda Gallery

Dick Waterman © Bruce Newman, 2003

Dick Waterman passed away a few days ago on January 26. Dick was at the heart of Govinda Gallery with his remarkable Blues photographs and stories. I was honored to compile them in our book Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive (Insight Editions, 2004). Dick Waterman’s photographs and stories are a national treasure.

Buddy Guy, Cambridge, 1968. Photo by Dick Waterman

Son House, Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, 1965. Photo by Dick Waterman.

Mississippi John Hurt and Skip James, Newport Folk Festival, 1964. Photo by Dick Waterman.

Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive (Insight Editions, 2004).

Dick Waterman and Bonnie Raitt.

Keith 1981, vintage photograph by Michael Halsband

Govinda Gallery first exhibited Michael Halsband’s photographs in 1982 not long after this brilliant portrait of Keith was taken. That exhibition at Govinda, “Michael Halsband, Portrait Photography,” opened on April 23rd, 1982.

Michael introduced me to Keith on his birthday in 1981 backstage after a Stones gig in Hampton Roads Virginia. Michael was the tour photographer. When I met Keith I told him it would be my birthday in an hour as my birthday is December 19th. Keith gave me that great smile of his and said “Yeah Chris, you me and Bobby Keys!”. Bobby, the great sax player for the Stones and friend of Keith was nearby and has the same birthday as Keith. Keith is a generous spirit and took the sugar guitar on the top of his birthday cake and gave it to me! God bless Keith.

Alfred Wertheimer would be 94 today. He took the finest photos ever of a rock star… they happen to be of Elvis Presley in 1956. It was my great pleasure to be the editor of Alfred’s four books of his photographs of Elvis Presley, as well as my collaborating with Alfred as the curator of over 20 museum exhibitions of his work. Rock on Alfred!

Alfred Wertheimer at his Grammy Museum exhibition, January 2010, Los Angeles.

With his RCA portable transistor 7 radio blasting away in the back of a local cab from the train station, Elvis is about to leave for the Hotel Jefferson, where he was staying. He had two performances that day, at the Mosque Theater that afternoon and evening. Richmond, VA. June 30, 1956. Photo by Alfred Wertheimer.

From left to right: Govinda Gallery Director Chris Murray, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Alfred Wertheimer. Celebrating the launch of Alfred Wertheimer’s exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC at a party at Halcyon House in Georgetown, hosted by John Dreyfuss and Govinda Gallery Director, Chris Murray, October 22, 2010. Photo by Vivienne Foster.

Sinead O’Connor, Paris, 1992
© Claude Gassian

Of all the money that e’er I had,
I spent it in good company,
And all the harm I’ve ever done,
Alas it was to none but me.
And all I’ve done for want of wit
To mem’ry now I can’t recall,
So fill to me the parting glass,
Goodnight, and joy be to you all.
“The Parting Glass”

Claude Gassian’s photographs are available from Govinda Gallery.

Protestors in the Reflecting Pool during an antiwar march, Washington, D.C., May 9, 1970.

Govinda Gallery is pleased to announce David Fenton’s exhibition of photographs SHOTS: An American Photographer’s Journal, 1967-1972, opening December 1st in Havana, Cuba at the Center for Contemporary Art Wifredo Lam.

Felipe Luciano, co-founder of the Young Lords Party,Newark, NJ, July 23, 1970.

Norman Mailer wrote about Fenton’s photographs that “These pictures are extraordinary. They capture the last couple of years of the 60s more closely than anything I know.”

Women rally for their rights during a protest in support of the Black Panther Party, New Haven, CT, November, 1969.

Fenton’s photographs are featured in the book SHOTS (Earth Aware Editions), edited and compiled by Fenton archivist, Lely Constantinople, and Govinda Gallery Director, Chris Murray.

Protestors arrested during the Days of Rage, Chicago, IL, October 11, 1969.

All are welcome at the exhibition.

Dublin was abuzz with Bruce Springsteen in town for three sold out shows at RDS Arena earlier this month. Photographer and special assistant to Donovan, Lawson Slater, told me that “excitement was in the air.” Donovan was in Dublin on May 4th to be a special guest for a show at Dublin’s Olympia Theater. Bruce Springsteen happened to be out for dinner with the legendary Irish musical artist, Shane McGowan and his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke. Donovan’s name came up at the dinner, and Bruce told Shane that, “’Catch the Wind’ was one of the first songs he learned.” Bruce asked about Donovan’s whereabouts and the next thing you know, Bruce Springsteen welcomed Donovan to the RDS Arena for his soundcheck. Donovan and his wife Linda spent a magical evening with Bruce and the E Street Band.

Here are some terrific photographs taken by Lawson Slater of a very special get-together. In the photo below I enjoy seeing my friend, photographer Danny Clinch, working in the background. Danny’s first exhibition was at Govinda Gallery.

Little Steven Van Zandt greeting Donovan. Photo by Lawson Slater.

Nils Lofgren enjoys meeting Donovan. Photo by Lawson Slater.

Bruce, Linda, and Donovan embracing. Photo by Lawson Slater.

Bruce Springsteen in concert in Dublin. Photo by Lawson Slater.

Photo by Lawson Slater

Today is Donovan’s birthday, and I celebrate it with this terrific photograph of Donovan and his wife Linda last weekend with Bruce Springsteen in Dublin. Donovan said, “It was wonderful for Linda and I to visit Bruce yesterday, at his soundcheck in Dublin, and to hear from him, that my music and harmonica playing was an important part of his youth. Bruce, I am also inspired by all you do. Love, Donovan and Linda.”

So much has been written when the great Harry Belafonte passed on last month. And rightly so, as Belafonte is a genuine hero of our times and a legendary creative artist. Leave it to Donovan to have recorded an extraordinary tribute album to Harry Belafonte in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, just a few years ago. When Belafonte had the ‘first listen’ to Donovan’s album Jump In The Line he wrote Donovan that “By your presence, the future is in good hands…” referring to Belafonte’s own musical legacy. I was fortunate to be with Donovan and his wife Linda in Jamaica for the two weeks recording that tribute album. Donovan is so cool to appreciate Harry so much to make a tribute album while Harry could enjoy it.

Photo by Chris Murray

And just two weeks ago the remarkable Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, launched “Becoming Bob Dylan” the exhibition of Ted Russell’s photographs of Dylan in New York City from 1961 to 1964. Donovan wrote the Foreword to that collection of photographs in Russell’s book Bob Dylan: NYC 1961-1964 (Rizzoli). The introductory text panel to the exhibition quotes some apt words from Donovan for the Dylan exhibition:

“You see in these amazing photos a Poet
Balancing there on the edge of his world
Smiling at chance and yet knowing for certain
…Only the dream is real”

Photos by Chris Murray

Happy Birthday Donovan!!

Donovan’s Sapphograph’s and Ted Russell’s photographs are available through Govinda Gallery.

Becoming Bob Dylan: Earliest photos capture music legend before he was famous

by Neal Augenstein

The earliest professional photos of a then-unknown 19-year-old Bob Dylan in 1961, which capture the future legend in the vibrant folk music scene in New York City, will soon be the focus of an exhibition at the Bob Dylan Center, curated by Chris Murray, founder of Govinda Gallery — a longtime staple in Georgetown.

Murray said he’s honored to bring the exhibition, “Becoming Bob Dylan Dylan: Photographs by Ted Russell 1961-1964,” to the recently-opened Bob Dylan Center.

“The Bob Dylan Center, via the Kaiser family in Tulsa, bought Bob Dylan’s person archive for $29 million dollars,” said Murray. “Having that archive, they constructed a museum to house it, and it’s an extraordinary place.”

Why Tulsa?

“They did it there, because next door is the Woody Guthrie Center. Woody Guthrie was born in Oklahoma, and Bob was a disciple of Woody,” said Murray. “The reason Bob Dylan came to New York in 1961 was to see Woody Guthrie, who was lying in a hospital bed, dying.”

In 1961, Russell, a freelance photographer, whose images have appeared in Life, Rolling Stone, Newsweek and Time, was on the lookout for good subjects. He was intrigued when he heard about an up-and-coming folk singer, who was about to release his first album.

“These were the first professional photos ever taken of Bob Dylan,” said Murray. “Ted Russell’s 94 now — he was a Life magazine photographer, which is the gold standard in photography, great photojournalism.”

Russell’s 1961 photos show Dylan performing at Gerde’s Folk City, writing and practicing in his tiny apartment in Greenwich Village that he shared with girlfriend Suze Rotolo.

Bob Dylan in his Greenwich Village apartment, in early 1962. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

When Russell photographed Dylan in November 1961, at Gerde’s Folk City, “Dylan’s first album had been recorded, but not yet released,” said Murray. “Bob was, no pun intended, a complete unknown,” referencing a lyric from “Like a Rolling Stone” that Dylan wouldn’t write until 1965.

At the time, Dylan was mostly performing folk classics written by other artists. His first album, titled “Bob Dylan,” contained only two songs written by the Minnesota-born Robert Zimmerman.

Bob Dylan performs at Gerde’s Folk City in the East Village, in Nov. 1961. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

“Ted’s photos of Bob in his early days show him wearing a great Greek fisherman’s cap,” said Murray. “That’s what Woody wore, too.”

Many of Russell’s photos show an unguarded Dylan, carrying a box of items as he and Rotolo moved into their apartment, “on 4th Street, as in ‘Positively 4th Street,’” the title of a 1965 single for Dylan.

In 1962, Bob Dylan in his Greenwich Village apartment with his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

Russell photographed Dylan two more times, after the release of his first albums, as his fame grew, and as his records contained more songs he’d written.

In 1963, on an assignment for Life magazine, Russell photographed Dylan receiving the Paine Award for distinguished service for the fight for civil liberty from the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee, at a dinner in New York City.

Author James Baldwin, who was a speaker that evening, sat on the dais with Dylan.

Author James Baldwin and Bob Dylan chat during a 1963 dinner, in which Dylan received an award in his fight for civil liberty. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

“He’d seen a lot in the world, since he came to New York in 1961,” said Murray. “And it’s reflected in his songwriting — it’s reflected in ‘Blowing in the Wind,’ it’s reflected in ‘The Times they are a-Changing.”

Dylan was “very upset by JFK’s assassination,” said Murray. With the civil rights movement “in full force, Bob was very much sympathetic and impacted by these incredible events.”

In a 1964 session, Russell’s photos show Dylan in his apartment, sitting at his desk, using a manual typewriter: “The great poet that he is, he interpreted those feelings in these wonderful songs that we all can relate to.”

The Bob Dylan Center has an identical typewriter in its permanent collection, said Murray.

Ted Russell’s 1964 photographs of Bob Dylan show the increasingly-popular songwriter, at the typewriter in his apartment. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

Murray said Russell’s photographs, over three sessions, capture the pivotal time in Dylan’s life, as he morphed from an unknown folk musician into a well-known observer and performer, whose songs have become synonymous with the quest for civil rights.

“When I look at Ted Russell’s photos of Bob Dylan, what strikes me profoundly is the freshness and the youth,” said Murray.

Ted Russell photographed Bob Dylan three times, between the years of 1961 and 1964. (Ted Russell/Govinda Gallery)

“He had the whole world in front of him now,” said Murray. “And, this young poet was about to transform popular culture in ways that he himself had no idea would happen.”

Murray will be in Tulsa for the April 26 opening of “Becoming Bob Dylan: Photographs of Ted Russell 1961-1964,” at the Bob Dylan Center.

Kate Simon took this wonderful photograph of John Lydon ’skanking’ in Kingston, in 1979.  It looks like a warm day in Jamaica. We are thinking of John here today at Govinda Gallery as his partner of five decades, Nora Forster, just passed.  I was delighted to present for the first time, at Govinda Gallery, Kate Simon’s exhibition Rebel Music: Bob Marley and Roots Reggae Music, in December of 2004. That exhibition was also a launch for Kate Simon’s limited edition book of the same name from Genesis Publications.