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I’ve Spent Years Tracking Down Historical Music Photography Locations, Here Are 30 Of The Best Pics (30 Pics)
I have been recreating music history by photographing the original images of musicians and bands in the exact location where they were photographed many years or even decades before. The project started in 2010 with old family photos, and since then, I've transitioned over to music photography having covered over 500 music locations mainly sharing my work on Instagram.
I compose each shot to include the original image in my hand, lined up (as best as I can) with the background as it appears today. I've enjoyed walking in the footsteps of some of my favorite musicians all while learning more about music history along the way. I like to challenge myself to find every location, so I scour through interviews, research the photographers, and investigate the timeline of the musicians during specific periods. I also comb through Google Maps, sometimes going street-by-street, exploring locations, and trying to match them to the original images.
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Madonna. Taken By Richard Corman In 1983 NYC
I can't help but think how crazy it is that there was a time that these huge stars were just hopeful young people. Here's this young woman, no way to guess that she'd become successful at all, much less a music icon. There's no social media stardom at the time so fame is more elusive. Just kinda wild to think about!!
I grew up in Pennsylvania about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia and moved to NYC when I was 18 for college. I stayed there after graduation and began my career as a freelance documentary filmmaker and commercial and music video director. I’m also a photographer. I currently co-own the production company Nom De Plume.
Nirvana, August 17th 1991 At Gmt Studios On A Break From Filming Their Music Video For Smells Like Teen Spirit. Photo By Kevin Estrada
John Sebastian At Woodstock, 1969. Taken By Henry Diltz
I was inspired by a 2010 Daily Mail article on then and now war photography where the photographer blended original war images to the location as it looked today in Photoshop. It was extremely effective, but because I wasn’t too savvy in Photoshop at the time, I began using physical pictures from my personal family album that I could hold in my hand and recreated them in the location where they were shot decades ago. Over time, I continued doing this but would also visit the location of some of my favorite movie or TV locations as well as music photography when traveling for business.
Prince For The Cover Of His Album Purple Rain, 1984. Original Photo By Rob Slenzak
LED Zeppelin's Cover For Their 1975 Album Physical Graffiti. Cover Art Designed By Peter Corriston. Original Photo By Elliot Erwitt
I had a private Instagram account for years and would only share the images I captured with close family and friends, but after a recommendation from a good buddy of mine, I opened the account up to the public to share the work with other people I didn’t know. It soon garnered some attention but I later came upon an account doing something similar with strictly movie locations. I didn’t want to step on her toes, so I transitioned to music photography as I wasn’t seeing anyone else doing it.
Though I work in film, music and music photography have always been influential in my career, having started early on directing music videos and having a passion for music photography as a hobby since I was young. It only made sense that I transitioned to music. I’m glad I did as I’ve been able to connect with some of my favorite musicians and photographers through the years as well as learn more about each individual artist I post about along the way.
John Lennon And Yoko Ono, 1973, NYC. This Photo Is A Block From The Dakota, Where John Would Later Be Shot. Taken By Bob Gruen
Green Day In NYC, June 29th 1994. Possibly The Same Day They Played David Letterman
It has become a time-consuming project, one that also involves putting my own resources into it, but it’s fun. I like the hunt. I see it as a challenge and a constant game of Where’s Waldo? People have really come to enjoy it and I’ve been moved by some of the personal messages I’ve gotten through the years and the effect it’s had on people. As long as people find interest in it and it gives them some joy from endless hours of scrolling through the day, then I think it’s worth it. There’s no shortage of music photography and I hope to expand outside just New York City and LA where I’m mainly located.
This Is One Of My Favorite Images Of Bob Dylan Taken On February 10th, 1965 In NYC By Richard Avedon
That's central park to the left! It's a beautiful street to take a stroll on.
Debbie Harry Standing On The F/M Platform At 14th Street, NYC. Taken By Chris Stein
How is it she and her band never released an album entitled, Blonde on Blondie?
Originally, when I was in New York City, I would focus on one location/picture at a time and set out to capture it early in the morning or at the end of the day when I was finally free from work. Since the pandemic, I’ve moved outside of NYC and I’m not there as much. When I have some consecutive free days, I’ll now go in and take a few days to hunt down multiple pictures over a certain period of days, traveling all around the 5 boroughs and beyond.
I’ll locate the pictures ahead of time, pin them on a Google map, print out the images and scout out routes to travel so I’m organized and save time when I head out to capture them. It’s good to plan out the route ahead of time as you don’t want to realize later after you’ve left a spot that there’s another picture you could have gotten that’s just a block away. Sundays in NYC prove to be the best as I can easily drive from location to location without the hassle of fighting for parking spots or having to pay at a meter (free parking on Sundays). New Yorkers and the drivers tend to leave for the weekend which allows for less traffic and open parking spots.
Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here Album Cover. Taken By Aubrey "Po" Powell
Kurt Cobain And Courtney Love With Frances Bean In 1992 At Their Hollywood Heights Home. Taken By Stephen Sweet
I’ve recently also been capturing an additional photograph of the location without me holding the original pictures in a frame, just showing off the environment and what it looks like today. It’s a nice comparison to see who and what once stood in that location to how it looks today without those musicians standing there. It gives a whole new look to what would seemingly look like an ordinary street on any given day. It can become quite eerie at times to imagine the person who once stood there, especially if they’re no longer with us. It reminds us of the amount of history we’re surrounded by but often don’t realize it or reflect upon it.
There’s nothing more to it than me holding the pictures in the original locations and trying the best I can to line them up to the environment as it’s seen today. It’s best if there’s something familiar to the location, whether that be a street sign, building, tree, etc., as it was years prior.
Guns N' Roses Shot In West Hollywood For Rolling Stone Magazine, 1988. Taken By Timothy White
Nirvana At The East River Park Amphitheater 1989. Taken By Steve Double
My iPhone has proved to be the easiest to operate with this method, but I’m unhappy with the lack of quality the iPhone offers. Perhaps If I have future plans for a book or large-scale printouts, I’ll revisit some of these spots and properly capture them with the right equipment for the best quality results that can give me the flexibility to print images at a large scale. Since it’s only for Instagram and similar platforms, the iPhone currently does its trick.
The Beatles Visiting Washington, D.c. For Their First American Concert In February, 1964 Right After Playing The Ed Sullivan Show
I bet this location was chosen to benefit their record label at the time.
Beastie Boys, 1991, Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica Ca. Taken By Glen E. Friedman
Regarding The Band Was Here, I have a few things in the works that I hope I can share more about soon. I have gotten a lot of questions/interest in a book, which is something I would like to put out. I’d also like to explore a gallery show at some point. I think seeing the images printed out at a large scale could have a different effect on the viewer than what they currently encounter on Instagram.
Simon And Garfunkel, 1972, Central Park Reservoir NYC. Taken By William Silano
This is the first album my dad ever gave to me. I was just a little girl but I loved every song and that picture is part of my childhood memories ❤❤❤
Radiohead’s Cover For Their Album Ok Computer. Taken From The “Radiohead” Suite At The Hilton Hartford In Connecticut
Snoop Dogg, 1993. Taken By The Late Great Chi Modu
Eminem By Jeremy Deputat. He’s Standing In Front Of His Childhood Home Which Was Featured On The Marshall Mathers Ep
It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like none of those houses exist anymore. It makes an already "sad in tone" photograph even more sad.
The Who, Morningside Park In New York City, 1968. Taken By Art Kane
Woody Guthrie, 1943 At Mcsorley's Old Ale House For Life Magazine. Original Photo By Eric Schaal
The Doors On The Venice Beach Boardwalk. Taken By Henry Diltz
Eminem And Mister Cartoon Outside Hollywood Bob And Charlie Robert’s Spotlight Tattoo. Taken By Gregory Bojorquez
Britney Spears, April 9th, 1999, Paradise Cove In Malibu, Ca. Still From The “Sometimes” Video. Taken By Danny Hastings (I Think)
Joan Jett In Front Of The Old Pussy Cat Theatre Located At 6656 Hollywood Blvd, 1977. Taken By Brad Elterman
LED Zeppelin's Robert Plant In 1975 Overlooking Sunset Boulevard. Original Photo By Peter Simon
Here David Bowie Is Outside Of Tea And Sympathy In NYC, January 10th, 1997. Taken By Kevin Cummins
Madonna, 1983, NYC. Taken By Richard Corman
Bob Dylan And Suze Rotolo, February 1963 On Jones Street And West 4th NYC. Original Photo By Don Hunstein
Michael Jackson For The Cover Of His 1979 Album Off The Wall
This album was so great, I was 10 and skating to this at the roller rink, Rock with You, Working Day and Night, etc. Then Thriller came out and I was even more blown away. Say what you like about his personal life - the music will forever stand on its own.
Amy In 2007 In NYC. Taken By Patrick Morgan
Minor Threat, 1983 In Front Of Dischord House In Arlington Virginia. Original Photo By Glen E. Friedman
Still From Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Music Video, 1983. Shot By John Landis
Nick Cave, Central Park, 1983. Taken By Anton Corbijn
Here Elvis Presley Is Outside The Cbs-TV Studio 50 Stage Door, NYC, March 17th 1956
The Ramones And Black Flag Marquee Outside The Hollywood Palladium, November 17th 1984. Original Photo By Gary Leonard
The Rolling Stones, 1966, 124 East 24th Street NYC. Image Was Taken For Their Single “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?” By Jerry Schatzberg
Lemmy, Dave Grohl And Wiley Hodgden Take A Break From The Filming Of Foo Fighters' 2011 Music Video For “White Limo”
Photograph Of Tupac And Treach On The Set Of Juice In 1991. Taken By Peter Frankfurt
Avril Lavigne In 2002 For The Cover Of Her Album Let Go. Original Photo By John Arsenault
Billy Joel, Cover For The Album An Innocent Man, NYC 1983. Taken By Gilles Larrain
You know in the movie Stepbrothers - that scene where the guy yells "Billy Joel doo-wop sucks!" This album is where it started. I kinda agree.
The White Stripes, 2001, Hotel Yorba Cover. Taken By Pat Pantano
Dj Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince, 1990, In The Opening Credits For The Television Show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
Bob Marley. This Picture Was Taken On September 20th, 1980, Outside Of The Essex House During The Uprising Tour
Nirvana's In Utero Liner Artwork. Original Photo Taken In 1992 By Kurt Cobain
The Ramones, 1977 For The Cover Of Their Album Rocket To Russia. Original Photo By Danny Fields
Kurt Cobain In His Los Angeles Home In 1992. Original Photo By Guzman
Bob Seger, May 1980, In Front Of The Orpheus Fountain At The Cranbrook Academy Of Art In Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Taken By Michael Marks
The Ramones, 1985, At Playmates Arch In Central Park NYC. Taken By George Dubose For The Cover Image Of Their Album “Too Tough To Die”
Notorious B.i.g, Summer 1994, Brooklyn NY. Original Photo By David Mcintyre
The Grateful Dead, May 5th 1968 At The Bandshell In Central Park. Original Photo By Joe Sia
Outtake Image For The Cover Of Elliott Smith's Figure 8 Album, 2000. Original Photo By Autumn De Wilde
Public Enemy In New York City. Original Photo By Glen E. Friedman
Pj Harvey, Times Square, 2000. Cover For Her Album Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. Taken By Maria Mochnacz
Slash Hanging Outside The Sunset Marquis Hotel, Los Angeles. Taken By Ross Halfin
Kurt Cobain And Courtney Love, For The “Family Values” Session, Photographed For Spin Magazine In 1992. Taken By Guzman
Gerard Way Of My Chemical Romance In 2004 At The Tick Tock Diner In New Jersey. Original Photo By Justin Borucki
The Notorious B.i.g, January 24th, 1997, Cypress Hills Cemetery In Queens. Taken By Michael Lavine
Ozzy Osbourne At Strawberry Fields In Central Park NYC 2010. Taken By Bob Gruen
Late Night Tunes. Lana Del Rey, September 3rd, 2014, NYC
Kurt Vile, Philadelphia. Mural By Espo's Art World. Photograph Was Taken By Shawn Brackbill And Doug Seymour
My Chemical Romance In The Music Video For Their Song “Helena” Filmed In 2005. By Marc Webb
Amazing pictures!!! Why are there candles all over the ground?
Axl Rose Of Guns N’ Roses Outside The Sunset Grill In 1988. Taken By Mark Weiss
Here’s The Foo Fighters Back In July Of 2001 In NYC. Taken By David Corio
Billie Eilish In Her 2019 Video For “Bad Guy” Off Her Album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Shot By Dave Meyers
The Strokes In 2001 On The Corner Of Lafayette And Bond Street. Taken By Pennie Smith
Gerard Way Of My Chemical Romance Hanging Out On Lexington Ave In Front Of The Park Avenue Armory. Possibly Taken In 1997
Nas Is At Queensbridge Houses, 1993. Taken By Danny Clinch
The War On Drugs, South Philadelphia
Dj Khaled On Orchard Street, 2016, NYC. Taken By Clay Patrick Mcbride
Post Malone, 2019, 33rd And Park Ave NYC. Taken By Rich Fury
This is awesome! Lots of time and though probably had to go into this
This is awesome! Lots of time and though probably had to go into this