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Virginia Turbett

Virginia Turbett (born 17 August 1957 in rural West Sussex) is a British rock music and social reportage photographer best known for her photographs of bands, fans and street culture between the years of 1977 and 1987. At primary school, at the age of ten, sporting a Radio 1 launch badge from Tony Blackburn, Virginia was already a dedicated and devout music fan who spent three nights in July1967 crying into her pillow because her Mum and Dad wouldn’t let her go to see the Monkees at Wembley. She had access to her elder brother’s singles collection and played Manfred Mann’s Do Wah Diddy, the Animals House of the Rising Sun and the Searchers Needles and Pins repetitively on the ‘radiogram’. She soon started collecting more eclectic records of her own: Leonard Cohen, Santana, Love, English folk, Jefferson Airplane and the Doors but in the summer of 1971 her life changed when she met three guys from Bristol who introduced Virginia to Hunky Dory on a cassette, in a tent on a North Cornwall cliff top. “I went home and ordered the entire back catalogue, then advance ordered Ziggy Stardust. Waiting for the albums to arrive in the record shop in Midhurst or, after Virgin started, be delivered to my very rural home was as exciting as Thursday mornings when I’d get off the school bus and go straight to the newsagent for my NME. - my bible. I would skip off school, pay all my babysitting money to go and queue for tickets at venues far away to get best seats at the front. I loved Alex Harvey, Beefheart, Lou Reed etc but Bowie was the main man of course and I saw him many times including at Hammersmith on July 3rd 1973 when he killed Ziggy."

In 1977 Virginia was asked by a good friend to photograph the Pistols recording Pretty Vacant for Slash Magazine. “I had to go to a camera shop on Tottenham Court Rd to get them to change the film for me”. A year, and many punk gigs, later a chance meeting with a journalist from Sounds on the Right To Work March led to a collaboration which lasted a few years photographing Punk, Rock, Pop, Heavy Metal, Mods, New Romantics, skinheads, Two-Tone, Ska, Reggae and the and fans, style and fashion of the time. At the same time Virginia was working on a left wing paper photographing social and political stories all over the country. In 1979 Virginia was asked by Ian Cranna, Editor of Smash Hits, to photograph features and interviews and continued working on the the magazine until she gave up photography to look after her two children in 1987. Virginia contributed to many magazines of the late 70’s and 80’s including The Face, Sounds, Smash Hits, Flexipop and Record Mirror creating images of world famous artists and musicians including the Pistols, Clash, Blondie, Iggy, Andy Warhol, Frank Zappa and Nick Cave.

Virginia now works from her home in South Devon selling her extensive and unique archive and contributing to publications, films and TV, exhibitions and record covers all over the world.

 

 

Jam, The (JA001VT)

The Jam

Paul Weller, with The Jam, plugging in his guitar live onstage at the Rainbow Theatre, London in April 1980.

Prices from £295.00
print
Madness (MA001VT)

Madness

Madness captured in a London park in November 1979

Prices from £295.00
print
Jam, The ( JA002VT)

The Jam

Paul Weller, with The Jam, performing live onstage at Guildford Civic Hall in June 1981

Prices from £295.00
print
Prince (PC001VT)

Prince

Prince posing backstage at the Paradiso, Amsterdam during his Dirty Mind Tour in 1981

Prices from £295.00
print
Sex Pistols (SP001VT)

Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols on the set for the 'Pretty Vacant' video shoot at the ITN Studios, London in June 1977

Prices from £295.00
print

Featured Prints

Amy Winehouse sat on a bench in a North London laundrette in 2004 photograpghed by Jake Chessum

Amy Winehouse

Stunning image of Amy Winehouse taken in a North London launderette during a photo shoot in winter 2004.

Prices from £595.00
print
Oasis (OAMR001JF)

Oasis

Noel recalls "Maine Road was where we all used to go as kids. So I was standing there, trying to make sure I never forgot this moment"

Prices from £2,000.00
print
Screen print of Prince created by artist David Studwell

Prince

Limited edition screen print of a mugshot of Prince created by artist David Studwell

Prices from £300.00
print
Nirvana (NV011WEDD)

Nirvana

Underwater photo of Krist Novoselic in a LA swimming pool whilst on a Nirvana publicty shoot

Prices from £650.00
print
Pink Floyd (PF005ANWH)

Pink Floyd

Relaxing backstage at Abbey Road Studios during the recording of debut album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'

Prices from £291.67
print
Led Zeppelin (LZ001MPUT)

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin performing at Madison Square Garden, New York, USA 1977.

Prices from £595.00
print

Featured Artists

Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck is one of rock’s most respected and dynamic instrumentalists. He is widely regarded as a “guitarist’s guitarist”.

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David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie was a leading figure in popular music for over five decades & regarded by critics & musicians as a true innovator.

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Bob Marley (and the Wailers)

Bob Marley (and the Wailers)

Bob Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, musician, & guitarist who achieved international fame & acclaim.

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Björk

Björk

Björk Guðmundsdóttir, (born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk is an Icelandic singer-songwriter.

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Oasis

Oasis

Oasis was an English rock music band formed in Manchester in 1991, to date the band has sold over 70 million records worldwide.

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Queen

Queen

Queen are a British rock band credited with making significant contributions to such genres as hard rock & heavy metal, among others.

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Featured Collections

***New Arrivals***

***New Arrivals***

Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.

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Born In The USA

Born In The USA

The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best

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Graphic Art Print Collection

Graphic Art Print Collection

Browse our collection of popular graphic art prints including iconic images by Storm Thorgerson and stunning work by contemporary artists.

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Contact Sheets Print Collection

Contact Sheets Print Collection

Our contact sheet print collection is a rare opportunity to look back at the hidden moments surrounding some of rocks most iconic images.

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Jake Chessum

Jake Chessum

During his 30 year career Jake Chessum has shot defining images of musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Jay Z, The Beastie Boys & David Bowie.

photographer
Alternative artwork by Storm Thorgerson for Pink Floyd's Division Bell

Album Covers

Album covers can define a band almost as much as the music itself. Now you can put this great art on your wall as well as your turntable

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