Caught on camera – the birth of rock ’n’ roll in Yorkshire

EYE-CATCHING black and white photographs of up-and-coming and established Sixties rock stars have gone on show at Salts Mill in Saltaire, near Bradford.
By Andrew Robinson
Published 22nd Oct 2013, 01:01 BST
Paul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960sPaul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960s
Paul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960s

As reported in last week’s Yorkshire Post magazine, the pictures are remarkable for the fact that they were taken by a teenager, Paul Berriff, who went on to have a successful career in film-making after he trained as a Press photographer in Leeds.

Taken in 1963 and 1964, right at the start of his career, the 850 pictures remained negatives 
for the next 50 years until they were found again in a box in his attic.

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The collection contains images of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Sandie Shaw, Gene Pitney, The Kinks and Pink Floyd, to name a few. Berriff took the photos backstage at venues including Leeds Odeon, the ABC in Huddersfield and the Gaumont in Bradford and in Doncaster.

Paul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960sPaul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960s
Paul Berriff with a portraits of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull, taken in Yorkshire in the 1960s

Robin Silver, of Salts Mill, says: “This exhibition not 
only chronicles the birth of 
some of the greatest names 
in rock and pop history but 
also gives an insight into social history and the fashions of the day.”

The free Rock Legends exhibition is on from Friday until January 12. Further details at www.saltsmill.org.uk

See Friday’s Yorkshire Post for a Rock Legends supplement featuring many of the photographs.

Related topics:YorkshireSalts MillBradfordSaltaireLeedsBeatles