George Shuba Photographs (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Collection)
Date
1964-1970
Size
1.34 (Linear feet)
Format
Digital materials (analog) Container: Drive: Deposit:\Backlog\DigitalCollections\IMAGES\ARC-0433 George Shuba Photographs
Scope and Contents
The collection contains 48 silver gelatin prints of musicians and bands performing in venues across Northeast Ohio. Prominent artists featured in the photographs are James Brown, the Beatles, Chubby Checker, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Jim Morrison and John Densmore of the Doors, Smokey Robinson, Sly and the Family Stone, the Rolling Stones, David Ruffin of the Temptations, Taj Mahal, Joe Tex, Pete Townshend of the Who, Jackie Wilson, and Stevie Wonder. Venues include the Cleveland Arena, Public Auditorium, Music Hall, and the Convention Center. Of particular note are Shuba's photographs of Tom and Jerry's first television appearance under their own names, Simon and Garfunkel, and Otis Redding's final performance on December 9, 1967 before his untimely death the following day in a plane crash. Both appearances occurred on the nationally syndicated WEWS-TV show, Upbeat. The collection illustrates the connections of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio to the national rock music scene of the 1960s and early 1970s. It also provides insight into local media's influence on that scene, as many of the performances photographed were produced by Cleveland radio and television stations. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by artist. Additional information about the photographs by photographer George Shuba are available by request in the collection control file.
Biography / Administrative History
George Shuba began his career in music photography shooting the Beatles during their first U.S. tour, at Cleveland Public Hall on September 15, 1964. That assignment led to decades of work with several media outlets, including WHK (which sponsored the first Beatles show), WKYC, and WIXY radio stations and as staff photographer for the WEWS-TV program, Upbeat. With his media access, Shuba photographed some of the most popular and influential bands and musicians of the 1960s and 1970s at venues across Northeast Ohio. His photographs are featured in the books, Morrison: A Feast of Friends by Frank Lisciandro (1991), and The Hendrix Experience by Mitch Mitchell and John Platt (1998), as well as the 1997 MCA compact disc compilation, South Saturn Delta. The photographs in this collection were featured in an exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, entitled "Cleveland Rocks: The Birthplace of Rock and Roll - Photographs by George Shuba" in 2008.
Notes
Citation: [Identification of Item], George Shuba Photographs, Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Processing Information: Processed by Crystal Matjasic, Project Archivist. Completed October 10, 2018. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual. Collection processed through an Access to Historical Records grant from the NHPRC.
Acquisition Note: The George Shuba Photographs were purchased by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. on February 28, 2009.
Language Note: No linguistic content.
Access
Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration form before using this collection. Consult the Library and Archives in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available.
Use
Copyright held by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.