Govinda Gallery

I just bought a copy of my favorite photo book of this year, 50 Years of Rolling Stone, from Abrams. This large format book presents a selection of brilliant images from Rolling Stone over the past six decades, commencing with the 1960s. Along with photographs on album covers, Rolling Stone magazine was the biggest influence on my championing significant photographs documenting musical artists at Govinda Gallery starting in 1982. The RS book also features a selection of terrific essays from David Fricke, P.J. O’Rourke, Jann Wenner, Tom Wolfe, Mikal Gilmore and more.

Dead on the Steps. The Grateful Dead, 710 Ashbury Street, San Francisco, CA, October 1967. Photograph by Baron Wolman.

It was my good fortune to have the first exhibitions at Govinda Gallery for Rolling Stone‘s three chief photographers, Baron Wolman, Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger. It was incredibly exciting to present these three photographers to the public in a gallery venue for the first time and to be able to offer prints of their compelling photos to collectors. The public came in droves to these exhibitions, as did the media.

Yoko Ono and John Lennon, New York City, December 1980. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.

Along with the three chief Rolling Stone photographers, I also had first exhibitions for many other amazing photographers published in Rolling Stone, including Herb Greene, Linda McCartney, Jim Marshall, Bob Seidemann, Joel Brodsky, Michael Halsband, Alan Tannenbaum, Anton Corbijn, Matthew Ralston, Danny Clinch, Michael Cooper, Barry Feinstein, Firooz Zahedi, Bob Gruen, Gered Mankowitz, Eddie Kramer, Lynn Goldsmith, Harry Benson, Mick Rock, Daniel Kramer, Glen Friedman, Amalie Rothschild, Frank Stefanko, Kate Simon, Jonathan Mannion and Ted Russell, among others.

Bob Dylan, New York City, 1995. Photograph by Mark Seliger.

Donovan was the first interview in Rolling Stone published in its inaugural issue in November 1967, with his friend John Lennon on the cover. Donovan shows his artwork with Govinda Gallery. I love this portrait of Donovan by Baron Wolman.

Donovan, Los Angeles, September 1969. Photograph by Baron Wolman.

Congratulations, Rolling Stone, on 50 years of publishing a terrific magazine.