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Mike McCartney's Early Liverpool is Mike McCartney's 'definitive statement of a magic era,' as revealed through his photography, illustrations and fascinating commentary.
'I got into Surrealism through cinematography. Suddenly, as a young man, still at school, I saw these extraordinary mind-blowing visuals, defying normality.' - Mike McCartney
Mike McCartney's Early Liverpool brings together all of McCartney's finest work including a wealth of previously unseen photographs and treasured drawings. McCartney takes us from his very first photograph, taken with the family Kodak Brownie box camera, to experimenting with his Rollei Magic camera and finding a love in surrealism, through to capturing the Merseybeat scene in Liverpool. The venues that were at the heart of the city are all featured, including the Casbah Club, the Jacaranda Club, Hope Hall, the Tower Ballroom and the legendary Cavern Club.
'Certain pictures that I've taken have a lovely feel to them. Both John Lennon and Sandie Shaw had this magnetism and awe surrounding them and I often wondered why. Then I worked out they were both blind as bats when they took their glasses off.' - Mike McCartney
In a commentary that is honest, revealing and often humorous, McCartney describes growing up in a post-war Liverpool and the cultural sensation that followed. McCartney shares his love of satire, poetry and music, and his experience of being there to photograph the talent that came out of Liverpool, including his own group, the Scaffold. From The Beatles to the Fourmost, and from the Roadrunners to Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, McCartney captured the local bands as well as Liverpool's poets and artists, including Adrian Henri, Sam Walsh and Maurice Cockrill, RA. In Mike McCartney's Early Liverpool the incredible visiting acts that Liverpool welcomed are also celebrated, including Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and Long John Baldry. With each photograph, McCartney gives a fascinating insight into the history of the vibrant city.
Only 1,650 Collector copies are to be created, each signed by Mike McCartney and including a stamped 8"x10" (200mm x 254mm) print.
Quarter bound in black cloth, the Collector cover features an original stencil by McCartney, created for a poster advertising an early Beatles gig at the Casbah, rendered in gold foil blocking. The Collector copies also include a double-sided 8"x10" print (200mm x 254mm). On the front, a Kodachrome colour photograph captures John, Paul and George playing as the Quarrymen at a McCartney family celebration in 1958. A friend of the family, Dennis Littler, appears at the right of the frame. On the reverse, Mike McCartney is pictured with Dennis more than 50 years later, in 2012. The print is numbered, stamped, and is suitable for framing.
The Collector copies are housed in an archival slipcase screen-printed with a montage of photographs and original artwork.
Select from the following editions:
| Collector | £325 |
In a highly anticipated signed limited edition book, Mike McCartney reveals the secrets of Sixties and Seventies Liverpool through his photography, illustrations and commentary.
Since 1974 Genesis has created signed limited edition books on behalf of authors and artists ranging from the Beatles to Buckingham Palace.
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For purchases over £150, the payments are spread over three months. For example, for a purchase of £360, £122.40 would be paid today, followed by two instalments of £118.80.
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