Jim Marshall’s 1967
Co-curated with Amelia Davis. Travelling exhibition
Grammy Museum, Los Angeles. March - May, 2017
San Francisco Arts Commission: City Hall. January - June 2017
Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany. June - August 2021
Jim Marshall’s 1967 presents an extraordinary window into the year that forever defines San Francisco’s cultural identity. With unprecedented access and an unrelenting pace, Marshall captures the musicians, poets, and everyday moments that form the heart of the city’s counterculture. He stands beside Allen Ginsberg at the Human Be-In, photographs Jefferson Airplane’s album covers, and finds himself onstage with the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix. From intimate scenes at home with Janis Joplin to the chaos of a Hell’s Angels gathering, Marshall’s images reflect both the exuberance and the intensity of a city in the midst of seismic social change. The exhibition unfolds chronologically, immersing visitors in one fast-moving year when music, art, and politics collided in revolutionary ways.
Featuring 80 photographs selected from thousands taken during that singular year, the exhibition underscores Marshall’s legendary role in shaping how we understand the Summer of Love and the rise of psychedelic rock. Widely beloved by musicians across genres, Marshall dedicates his life to documenting jazz, folk, and rock, creating images that remain etched into popular memory. His photographs grace the covers of over 500 albums and depict cultural icons from Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. In 1967, Marshall’s relentless schedule and unparalleled access become the story itself, offering not just a record of history, but a portrait of the artist as a chronicler of a cultural movement at its height.
This exhibition is presented in partnership with Jim Marshall Photographer LLC.
About Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (February 3, 1936, and died on March 24, 2010) was a trailblazing American photographer best known for his intimate, iconic images of the musicians who shaped the sound and spirit of the 1960s and '70s. Born in Chicago and raised in San Francisco, Marshall became an insider in the world of music photography, trusted by artists for his candor, integrity, and ability to disappear behind the lens. Armed with his Leica and an unrelenting drive, he captured defining moments of rock, jazz, and folk history—from the Beatles’ final concert at Candlestick Park to Johnny Cash’s rebellious middle finger at San Quentin. His access extended backstage, on tour buses, and into recording studios, creating a raw and honest visual record of a turbulent and transformative era.
Marshall’s legacy is marked not only by the musicians he photographed—Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis—but by the way he photographed them: with humanity, respect, and an instinct for truth. He never staged his shots, preferring instead to catch fleeting, unguarded moments that revealed his subjects’ vulnerability, power, and presence. Over the course of his five-decade career, he created hundreds of album covers and tens of thousands of images, many of which have become cultural touchstones. Following his death in 2010, his archive has been carefully preserved and celebrated, ensuring that his work continues to influence new generations of photographers, music lovers, and storytellers.
In 2014, Jim Marshall was posthumously bestowed a Trustee Award (part of a Lifetime Achievement Award) at the 56th Grammy Awards. He is the only photographer to receive this award.
Photo credit: Portrait of Jim Marshall taken by "Mama" Cass Elliott. Courtesy of Jim Marshall LLC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED