Scotland’s Photography Collection
I made a point of visiting the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh (due to being close to the Royal Society which I blogged about in part 142) and it was one of those random last minute decisions that paid off. The collection totals over 55,000 artworks with a remit of collecting the very best of Scottish and international photography. The exhibition I saw was simply a snapshot of this vast collection, dating from the early 1840’s to the present and was billed as Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection.
The collection is online and the gallery continually changes what is on display so whenever you visit there is something new to see. I’ve since found out that if you know of a particular photograph you would like to view you can make an appointment to do so.
There were many stunning photographs on display, but one in particular resonated with me. I recall now that I knew it was part of the collection, it just hadn’t been on my radar for awhile. To be suddenly confronted with it during a random chance visit (I was passing some time before heading along to the Royal Society) stopped me in my tracks. I’m a huge Beatles fan and have the entire back catalogue including all the boxsets. I also have the solo career of John Lennon, including the special editions and even the experimental releases from the late sixties. I know his music. The photograph is the one taken by Annie Leibovitz, of a naked John Lennon curled up next to a fully clothed Yoko Ono. It was taken hours before Lennon was shot dead on 8th December 1980. Rolling Stone Magazine used the image for its front cover on January 22nd 1981. I own a copy of this magazine.
It was an emotional moment. It’s an arresting image, and would still have impact if the tragedy that unfolded in the hours after it was taken hadn’t occurred. For those of us old enough to remember, it was our Kennedy moment. You don’t forget where you were when you heard. On entering the gallery, it was the first photograph that caught my eye. I found myself transported back to that instant and then a carousel of images from other moments of that day revolved through my mind. Snatches of conversations I had forgotten; the hushed silence in the student union during the day; my mother leaving a message to phone her and the first thing she asked was if I was okay. A couple of weeks later I found out she had bought me the Double Fantasy album for Christmas. A vinyl copy I still have. I’ve since bought the CD, then the remastered version with the bonus tracks and also the stripped down version which also contains a copy of the original album. It’s a record that has stayed with me. Songs are time machines and so are photographs. Seeing that image on that day gave me a jolt; it reaffirmed what I already knew, but sometimes needs restating; that you never know what is going to happen and the need to keep on keeping on, trying to do better each day is how it needs to be.