Paris Exhibit Displays Rare Bob Dylan Photographs

An exhibit at Cite de la Musique in Paris, France opened today, showcasing photographs of Bob Dylan that have rarely been seen. These photographs were taken in the 1960s, and were taken by photographer Daniel Kramer, who accompanied Dylan on tour from 1964 to 1965.

Kramer first met Dylan after seeing him perform the song, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” Kramer said that he had to meet Dylan, and even pestered his agent, until the agent finally relented, allowing him one hour with the musician. Of course, one hour turned into five, which led to 12 months’ worth of photographs detailing the rise of a rockstar.

The photographs range from Dylan walking down a street, playing chess at Woodstock, tuning his guitar before a concert, and even on of him posing at the Newark Airport, New Jersey with folk singer Joan Baez, in front of a poster that reads “Protest Against the Rising Tide of Conformity.” Bob Dylan’s songs inspired the Civil Rights Movement, and his 1965 album, “Bringing It All Back Home,” angered folk music lovers, as the album was Dylan’s first using an electric guitar.

Dylan went on to record over 30 albums, and has been hailed as one of the 20th Century’s most influential people, both musically and culturally. The photographs taken by Kramer show the beaufitul transition of the musician from a simple folk singer, into an incredibly influential person, who made perople think using the words he sang, and also helped inspire a movement. The photo exhibit also showcases pictures of the musician as a toddler, throughout his school years, and objects like a guitar, manuscripts Dylan wrote, and sound archives that were loaned by the Grammy Museum. The show in Paris lasts until July 15th.