The Music I Saw

It's more than 50 years since Michael Putland (1947-2019) started out his illustrious career, which saw him witness music history in the making; photographing the iconic faces that changed popular music in an era when popular music was defining the 20th century. Michael captured some of the most iconic names in music, both on stage during the frenzy of a performance and as powerful portraits in the quiet time away from the crowds.

Born in 1947 in the UK, he took his first pictures at the age of nine and at sixteen worked as an assistant to various photographers, including Time-Life photographer, Walter Curtain. In 1969, he set up his own photographic studio and by 1971 he was the official photographer for the British music magazine Disc & Music Echo, his first assignment for them was to photograph Mick Jagger in London (and as an avid Stones fan, he couldn't believe his luck) and later David Bowie and John Lennon.

In 1973 Putland was hired as the tour photographer for The Rolling Stones European Tour, which led to a long- term relationship with The Stones. Some of his most famous images come from this period of close association with the band, including his seminal portrait of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh with a grinning, boyish Mick Jagger nestled between them.

Relocating to New York in 1977, it was here that Michael founded the highly regarded photo agency, Retna, which he ran for almost 30 years.

It has often been said that Michael is "the man that never took a day off in the 70s", but this needs to be extended a few more decades, as there’s just no other way he could have assembled a photographic archive of such immense breadth, depth and quality and 'stardom'.

All photographs by Michael Putland are available to purchase in three sizes as follows:

12 x 16” (30.5 × 40.6cm): € 850.00
16 x 20” (40.6 × 50.8cm): €1,100.00
20 x 24” (50.8 × 61cm): €1,950.00

For further information, please enquire here.