Soren McCarty Photographs (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection)
Date
1993-2005, undated
Size
9.66 (Linear feet)
Biography / Administrative History
Soren McCarty (1972-2021) was a professional photographer in Denver, Colorado, who served as staff photographer for Red Rocks Amphitheatre and AEG Presents Rocky Mountain. McCarty was also chief photographer for Marquis magazine, a contributing photographer for Denver journal Westworld, the house photographer for the Fox Theatre (Boulder), and beginning in 2010, staff photographer and contributing writer for Mountain Weekly News. Renowned for his concert photography, McCarty and his Canon cameras were a fixture for decades at area music venues. Whether his camera was pointed at the artist or the audience, his photo style conveyed his deep and abiding love for live music - particularly for rock and heavy metal artists. His photographs appeared in Time, Elle, Rolling Stone, SPIN, the New York Times, Billboard, Playboy, and a number of other publications. In 2010, he held the exhibition, "Ten Years of Red Rocks Music," at the Denver Photo Art Gallery, where he displayed a selection of his favorite shots from the Red Rocks venue. During the last ten years of his life, McCarty focused more on photographing outdoor sports and sportswear fashion. McCarty is remembered by his colleagues in the photography community for his encouraging and mentoring nature. Soren McCarty passed away from colon cancer at the age of 49 on April 11, 2021.
Scope and Contents
The Soren McCarty Photographs (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection) span the years 1993 to 2005 and include undated materials. The collection contains approximately 25,000 35mm slides taken by photographer Soren McCarty, capturing a diverse range of musical artists and bands, primarily in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. Slides are arranged by topic: artists, crowd shots, festivals, sports, personal, and unidentified performances; then, when identified, by artist, venue, and/or date. Musicians of note that appear in the collection include 311, Bad Religion, Black Flag, Paula Cole, Cramps, De La Soul, Ani DiFranco, Dio, Dropkick Murphys, Flaming Lips, Bela Fleck, Kristen Hersh, Indigo Girls, Jello Biafra, Keb' Mo', Korn, Le Tigre, Megadeath, Melvins, Misfits, Modest Mouse, Motörhead, Primus, Rancid, Rebirth Brass Band, Henry Rollins, Slayer, Spearhead, String Cheese Incident, Taj Mahal, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, White Zombie, and many more. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees featured include David Crosby, Eminem, Dr. John, B.B. King, Rob Halford and Judas Priest, Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady in Hot Tuna, Parliament-Funkadelic, Wilson Pickett, Iggy Pop, Public Enemy, Grateful Dead's Bob Weir in RatDog, Todd Rundgren, and Neil Young. In addition to photographs of artists, the collection also contains images of local concert crowds and festivals, as well as unidentified performances, and McCarty's outdoor sports, sports fashion, and more personal candid photography. Due to incomplete identification, some overlap may exist between festival and artist performance images. Together, these materials offer a comprehensive representation of McCarty's work on film documenting Colorado's live music scene and can provide insights into the artists who toured the region during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Notes
Acquisition Note: The Soren McCarty Photographs (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection) were purchased by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Inc. on November 4, 2024.
Citation: [Identification of Item], Soren McCarty Photographs (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection), Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Language Note: Materials are in English.
Processing Information: Processed by Crystal Matjasic, Technical Services Archivist. Completed May 2, 2025. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual.
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.
