Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History

Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present features more than 175 works by 105 photographers, including many rare and never-before exhibited photographs, that gave the music its visual identity.

From its earliest days, rock and roll was captured in photographs that personalized, and frequently eroticized, the musicians, creating a visual identity for the genre.

The photographers were handmaidens to the rock and roll revolution, and their images communicate the social and cultural transformations that rock has fostered since the1950s.

The exhibition is in six sections: rare and revealing images taken behind the scenes; tender snapshots of young musicians at the beginnings of their careers; exhilarating photographs of live performances that display the energy, passion, style, and sex appeal of the band on stage; powerful images of the crowds and fans that are often evocative of historic paintings; portraits revealing the soul and creativity, rather than the surface and celebrity, of the musicians; and conceptual images and album covers highlighting the collaborative efforts between the image makers and the musicians.

The exhibition will be open to the public October 30, 2009, through January 31, 2010.