(Above) The Beatles, Perthshire (1964). © Robert Whitaker
Exhibition: Beatles to Bowie: The 60s Exposed, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Norwich, until September 5 2010
Marking the 50th anniversary of the onset of the 1960s, Beatles to Bowie celebrates the leading pop personalities who helped create "Swinging London".
More than 150 classic and previously unseen photographs show how image, music, fashion and performance combined to make these musicians the icons of their time and London the world's most important cultural capital.
David Wedgebury, David Bowie (1966). © National Portrait Gallery, London
Although that stellar era famously started to swing as late as 1963, the series of pictures kicks off with glorious shots of Cliff Richard, Britain's most popular teenage pop star at the time, and Anthony Newley, the actor-turned-singer.
Here they are photographed by Tom Blau for Honey, the first quality monthly magazine "for teens and twenties", launched in 1960. These shots of glory stand for a period of unprecedented materialism and new teenage consumers across the UK.
Brian Duffy's 1962 fashion portfolio for the October 1 issue of Vogue, called Evening Looks and all That Jazz, redefines not only the aesthetic of photography but also the place of the photographer within the industry. Along with jazz greats of the day, visitors can find The Shadows pictured with model Ros Watkins.
Colin Jones, The Who (1966). National Portrait Gallery, London. © Colin Jones
These shots gently make their way to the year that the Beatles and the Mersey Sound conquered Britain. Fancy a chance to meet the most sought after 1960s group? Well, many commentators point to Fiona Adams's leaping image of the band as being the one that defined their outfits and mop-top hairstyles, so that might be your chance.
A year down memory lane, an ex-schoolgirl draws the public attention. Marianne Faithful’s photo, taken at Sainsbury Club in St Martin's Lane, London, is a prime example of how fashion permeated pop photography.
From the ultra-Mod clothes of The Small Faces to Cilla Black's pleated mini-skirt and Petula Clark's full-length dress designed by Caroline Charles, Fabulous magazine (October 2 1965) also developed a Street fashion story, featuring David Bowie with model Jeanette, to produce a subsequent pop art inspired bliss.
Gered Mankowitz, Marianne Faithfull, The Salisbury, St Martin's Lane, London (1964). National Portrait Gallery, London. © Bowstir Ltd, 2009
The 1960s will of course be remembered as a time of rebellion and experimentation, marked by Pink Floyd and the release of their first album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
In 1967, Vic Singh used the newly introduced prism lens to create its classic cover shown in the exhibition.
The Rolling Stones' 1968 single, Jumpin' Jack Flash, also finds a spot in the lineup, with a picture sleeve designed by David Bailey.
Peter Rand, The Kinks (1968). © Peter Rand
Their rivalry with The Beatles is played out wonderfully by a variety of top photographers who helped create and endorse their changing images.
The formal grandeur of the likes of Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson from the 1950s is eclipsed by the more casual poses of snappers such as Fiona Adams and Philip Townsend.
The sections which follow are devoted to female British singers like Cilla Black, Lulu and Sandie Shaw – the latter being notorious for performing without shoes. Not surprisingly, the barefoot pop princess ended up developing her own fashion line.
And what joy to be reunited with the likes of Billy Fury and Gerry and the Peacemakers. Though these band names may incite sniggers from the younger generation, we all know that was the whole point of the 1960s dance cult craze.
Open Monday-Saturday 10am-4.30pm (1pm-4.30pm Sunday). Admission £2.40-£3.30. Call 01603 493625/495897 or visit the venue online to book.
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