Page 30 - the NOISE December 2013

capturing that epic concert moment
a roll of film, a flash, and the flashback
by Sarah gianelli
the images are epic: Janis Joplin belting it out with her eyes locked on the camera; Jim Morrison crooning into the microphone
in painted-on leather pants; Eric Clapton backstage in an outrageous fur coat; Mick Jagger mid-strut; Hendrix lost in his guitar —
and the list goes on.
The rare, mostly unpublished photo-
graphs by the late Doug Hartley are capti- vating in their own right, but their true value lies in the stories and memories that ricochet around them, forming constellations that connect individuals to one another, and an entire generation to that vibrantly tumultu- ous time in American — and in this case Ari- zona specifically — history.
Doug Hartley was still in high school when he obtained a press pass from the now-de- funct Scottsdale Daily Progress that enabled him to get up close and personal with all the big name acts that came through Phoenix in the late 60s. In 1971, the promising 21-year old Arizona State University student was hit by a drunk driver while riding home on his bicycle late at night. He died a few hours later, and the nearly 2,000 photographs he had taken during his short photographic ca- reer were relegated to a cardboard box that would sit unopened for 20 years.
By then, Mr. Hartley’s younger sister, Con- nie Lacey, had settled in the Gulch, Jerome’s most leafy, tucked away neighborhood, with her daughter, mother and aunt. (Ironi- cally, when she finally opened the box of her brother’s belongings, she would discover photographs of a trip her brother took to a much different Jerome in the mid 60s).
In 1991, Ms. Lacey met her current part- ner Noel Fray, a long time musician and San Francisco native who worked for Bill Graham at the legendary Fillmore Theater during the same years Mr. Hartley was taking his pho- tographs in Phoenix. When he heard about
“A guy we met through the website is friends with Stevie Winwood and he was going to Eric Clapton’s birthday party, so we sent it out with him with a personal story that I’m sure Eric doesn’t remember but I do,” says Mr. Fray. “It was Cream’s last night at the Fillmore and their equipment manager decided to stay in the United States, and Eric asked me if I would consider going on tour with them. I didn’t because I was sweat- ing the draft at the time, but it certainly was tempting. So Eric has a picture of Doug’s; Steve Winwood has at least two of himself from us.”
In another story shared by a blogger on the PhotoFlashbacks website, Mr. Hartley’s photograph of Jim Morrison holding a spar- kler onstage validated a story that his family and friends had always rolled their eyes at in disbelief. Finally, after 45 years, the young man who was escorted out of the concert for throwing the sparkler onstage was able to verify his brush with fame.
Steve Johnson writes: “I can now say with confidence that my actions that night helped create the most iconic photograph of the Doors ... perhaps one of the most iconic photographs of the sixties, and I can talk about this until the day I die and have the proof that it happened.”
A small selection of Mr. Hartley’s photo- graphs have been published in four 60s rock and roll books, and 26 of his photos are on display in the Phoenix Coliseum concord, but the only other place to view Mr. Hartley’s photographs in person is in The Flatiron Cafe in Jerome, where framed prints are afford- ably priced at $60.
30 • DECEMBER 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
the box of photographs, he suggested they open it up and take a look.
Inside were stacks of manila envelopes filled with negatives and color slides labeled with names like Cream, Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Genesis, Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones; and the concert date and location, the majority taken at the then-state-of-the-art Phoenix Coliseum. Also inside were stacks of Zig Zag rolling pa- pers autographed by many of the big names listed above.
“It was like opening a treasure box,” says Ms. Lacey, who had joined her brother at many of the shows. “It had been so long, I had for- gotten what was in there and didn’t realize what a unique collection it was. It’s historical documentation too, all having been taken in a certain area during a certain time period.”
“I’ve always been a classic rock and roll buff,” says Mr. Fray. “But I wasn’t aware that all these big name acts had come through the state, so when she told me what she had and we started looking through them, two things popped into our heads: Doug took some really great photos and there are peo- ple out there who are going to want them.”
So began PhotoFlashbacks, the web- based company formed by Ms. Lacey and Mr. Fray to bring these photographs back into the light.
It has been a slow, arduous, and expensive process of cleaning, scanning and catalogu- ing the negatives; and researching the more obscure opening bands that weren’t labeled, but technological advancements have fa- cilitated their efforts, and their website has become a hub for music geeks, collectors, authors, and even friends and family of the rock stars themselves.
Janis Joplin’s brother has contacted them,
and Eric Clapton has Mr. Hartley’s photo of
himself in the aforementioned outrageous
coat. “They’reawesomephotos,”saysMs.Wieters.
“All from Arizona, unpublished and unique. And they’re great conversation pieces; peo- ple reminisce about seeing the bands, some were taken at venues that don’t exist any- more. And Connie and Noel are such great, nice locals and I want them to do well. Con- nie is very protective of her brother’s photos, and I feel honored that she let us have them, that we wanted them and she said okay.”
The prints on display at The Flatiron and online at PhotoFlashbacks.com (where un- framed prints range from $30-$40), barely scratch the surface of their collection, many of which have never been printed.
“It’s not about the money,” explains Ms. Lac- ey. “Just like the concerts were so accessible back then — only $3.50 - $5 to get in — we want the photos to be accessible. Not some elite thing where you have to be really rich to own one.”
“The whole purpose was to get Doug Hart- ley’s work out there,” says Mr. Fray.
“It’s our way of honoring him,” adds Ms. Lacey. “And getting his work out there for ev- eryone to enjoy instead of them just sitting in a photo album. He was very talented for being so young. And it’s such a wonderful slice of what was going on in the Phoenix area at that time.”
The Flatiron is located at 416 Main Street in Jerome, serving espresso, breakfast and lunch from 8AM-4PM daily, closed Tuesday. The Flatiron is now open for coffee beverages during First Saturday ArtWalk from 6-8PM.
| Sarah Gianelli is taking the red eye next time. sarahgianelli@hotmail.com
The owners of The Flatiron, Amy Wieters and Jen Nelson-Wieters are proud to be
“the world exclusive gallery” of a rotating se- lection of Mr. Hartley’s prints.