A new Abbey Road photography exhibition, Abbey Road: Reframed, will explore “almost a century of music history” through photographs of rare studio items and iconic images.
Exhibition Details
The world-famous Abbey Road recording studio is synonymous with The Beatles, but has also hosted acts including Pink Floyd, Oasis, Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean and Stormzy over the past 95 years. The exhibition presents three interconnected perspectives: The Art Of Recording, Iconic Image Makers and the Abbey Road Music Photography Accelerator. Together, they explore the artistry in the recording process, celebrate the photographers whose work has shaped music culture, and champion the next generation of image-makers.
Rare Items on Display
Abbey Road says the exhibition offers a “rare opportunity” to see photographs of items from the Abbey Road collection which have never been exhibited. Among the captured items are the Neumann U47 microphone, the studio’s Mrs Mills piano, and studio documents handwritten by Abbey Road engineers. Also featured are The Hitmaker, Nile Rodgers’ 1960 Fender Stratocaster guitar in Olympic White, which he used on hits including David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, and the Hammond RT-3 Organ used by Richard Wright throughout Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon album.
For the first time, fans will see the inside of the Sgt Pepper mono master tape, alongside the Neumann U48 microphone, the Studer J37 4-track machine, and the Sgt Pepper drum designed by Sir Peter Blake.
Photographers and Sales
The exhibition will also feature images taken at Abbey Road Studios by photographers including Jill Furmanovsky, Norman Parkinson and Terry O’Neill, as well as images from finalists and award winners of the Music Photography Awards. A selection of photography will be on sale at the exhibition.
Quotes and Dates
Abbey Road managing director Sally Davies said: “For the first time, this exhibition explores almost a century of music history through the tools brought to life by legends and the images that define the Abbey Road story.” She added: “Photography has never simply documented music; it has shaped its mythology, captured its most enduring moments and transformed sound into culture.”
Abbey Road: Reframed will be showing at London’s Iconic Images Gallery from August 11 to 22. Entry is free.
