Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era

by Linda McCartney, David Bailey (Introduction), Paul McCartney (Introduction)

A personal album of intimate photographs captures the lives and times of rock legends of the 1960s, including Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, the Grateful Dead, and many others. Reprint. 30,000 first printing. BOMC.

Genres: Photography, Music, Nonfiction, Art, Art and Photography

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 1992

About the author

Linda Louise, Lady McCartney (née Eastman, previously See) was an American photographer, musician, and animal rights activist. She married Paul McCartney of The Beatles on 12 March 1969, and was a member of Wings. The McCartneys had four children together: Heather Louise (from her previous marriage, whom McCartney adopted in 1969), Mary Anna, Stella Nina, and James Louis McCartney. Linda became Lady McCartney when her husband was knighted in 1997.

The McCartneys shared an Oscar nomination for the song "Live and Let Die", which they co-wrote, and she authored several vegetarian cookbooks, became a business entrepreneur (starting the Linda McCartney Foods company) and was a professional photographer, publishing Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, and died at the age of 56 on 17 April 1998, at the McCartney family ranch in Tucson, Arizona. She left her entire estate to McCartney through a Qualified Domestic Trust Fund.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through an act of serendipity this landed in my mail box and I spent the next few hours enjoying it - she started with limited photographic skills but benefited from privileged access to the burgeoning rock n' roll scene lead by the Rolling Stones as a staff photographer for Town & Country magazine in NYC (who admittedly had little interest in the Rolling Stones and their ilk). One thing leads to another as they often say and her work lead her to hook-up with Paul McCartney which gave her unprecedented access to the Beatles around the time of the White Album. The photos provide intimate views not seen elsewhere; the writing however which sets the stage for the accompanying photos is insipid.

[Larraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves photography and is a hopeful amateur photographer, I really enjoyed this book of photographs. In many ways, McCartney was not a particularly great photographer. She did manage to shoot some terrific photos using natural light and what appears to be minimal processing. I think that is what make them so very interesting. I included a copy of this famous Janice Joplin shot because I am a huge fan of Joplin's. Her version of "Me And Bobby McGee" almost inevitably brings me to tears. Before she married Paul McCartney she was Linda Eastman. She came from a well off family although she says she supported herself with her photography. She followed bands, did photography for Mademoiselle magazine among others. When she met Paul McCartney, however, most of that changed. She seems to have been the love of his life although he is remarried for the second time. It was interesting for me to see the pictures from a photographer's point of view, but also from a lover of the music of the era. In the chapter on Jimi Hendrix she says he took her best transparencies, and she never saw them again. I wonder what happened to them? Were they tossed by whomever was in charge of his estate? That would be tragic! It's an enjoyable book which can be read in a long sit down with a cup of coffee which is how I did it. She's gone now, but her photography will be there forever. The very end is rather poignant: ".....and I'm not keen to follow the line that everyone else is following. I'm into life." It's too bad that she lost her own life at such an young age. Who knows what she might have produced?

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I'm already a hardcore Linda McCartney fan and had seen quite a number of these photographs already, I was not expecting to love, love, love this book as much as I did.

I'm pretty sure I had a huge a smile on my face the whole time I was looking at/reading this book; the moments her photos capture are often so playful I couldn't help myself. I cannot explain what is so special about the way she photographed people, but she is unsurpassed. Her photographs show people as truly beautiful beings. Not beautiful in face, per se, but beautiful in their souls.


"I was always keener to capture the life of the person I was photographing than I was in portraying the veneer."

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A trip down memory lane (and Penny Lane!) as Linda shares her back stage view of the premier rockers at work and play during the turbulent 60's. Beautiful pics and insightful text fill this coffee table book. A must for Baby Boomers everywheere.

[char · Rating 5 out of 5]

shed many happy and sad tears reading- and on george’s birthday too!!

(borrowed from my college library)

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the sixties, like I am, then you will enjoy this photo book about rock stars of that time.

Linda McCartney started out as a free lance photographer who became known for creating portraits of the most famous musicians of an era. Looking at the book now, we remember some of the groups and stars, others have faded out. But just seeing everyone dressed in bygone times, at the height of youth and popularity, some shortly before they died from the drugs they abused, will certainly make the reader feel nostalgic.

My only complaint is that she doesn't label her photos. Yes she names the groups and people in the title and in the brief essay she writes on each page, but if you do not know who is who, you will be in the dark as to the names of the people in the photos.

That quibble aside, it's still a great photo book.

[Ralph Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some rock and roll books where you can smell the whiskey and various bodily fluids littered around the hotel room/ tour bus/ woodstock festival. This isn’t one of them. Instead, Linda McCartney’s book feels like a cherished personal photo album of old friends and it sums up a time that beautiful as it was, quickly vanished. “I’m into life,’ she says at the end, capturing the spirit of the era.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this hardcover book to my brother in 1992. Through his recent death, i had the chance to read it again through, rather than just browse the pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed her minimal explanations of the photos that provided me the opportunity to travel through the rock scene of the sixties. And of course the excellent photos.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, love this book! What can I say? I wish I'd been Linda, she was so lucky, and met so many of my musical heroes from the 1960s, as well as bagging herself a Beatle! And she took many of those photos with a manual SLR camera.. So very lucky!

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

[Brean · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it come to straight forward beautiful not digitally messed with pictures of people, Linda McCartney's one of the best. It sounds really simple, but trust me, it's not. And this book has a lot of classic shots because she was photographing musicians in the 60's- people like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, a lot of people no longer here. Lots of good stuff in this book. I think as a young photographer McCartney influenced what I consider to be a beautiful photograph, which in today's world of photography can be a million different things. But she was still capturing moments and people in a way that takes talent- not just taking shots and calling it documentary photography. She was still making art- her photos express something, an emotion or idea, which is completely possible with film and light and a camera- you don't need to mess with it 10 times in photoshop. McCartney got me started on that road.

[Tulara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rewarded myself this morning by sitting down and re-reading Linda McCartney's photo book, Sixties, Portraits of an Era.
I thought it funny that now I belong to an Era. Linda brought back the excitement and inner joy that I felt then. Her photos are taken from the heart - not staged. She was friends with a lot of musicians before they became famous - and met a lot more after they became famous. Reading her comments, I can see why. She is a person I would ahve liked to meet. I like how she says in the book, that she liked to take photos of interesting people whether or not they were famous.
She give a unique insight to Jackson Browne, Jim Morrison and Neil Young. In these days of celebrity hype, it's nice to see an pictures from an era when the bands were just "wondering if anyone was ever going to notice them."

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

These pictures are great. You know how the pictures in Rolling Stone and Spin nowadays show the flashy fame-craving doucheiness of modern rock bands?
Well, Linda captured the better days...or at least the appearance of better days:
George Harrison stacking tambourines on his head, Janis Joplin smiling strangely, and Paul...lovely, lovely Paul.
He makes my knees weak- especially that one picture where he's drinking a milkshake out of a straw...someone can be THAT perfect?! c'mon.
It makes me grieve for the linda and paul partnership. She seems so silent and beautiful on the other side of the camera.
"If I only had one love, yours would be the one I'd choose."
-Paul McCartney

[Steve Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photographs of absolute legends in candid ,and in action shots throughout. Another one of those books that will be on my shelf , until they remove me in a bag. Just a GEM ! Not your average ,rock star photo book . These photos were taken by Linda Eastman McCartney . You know she was married to Paul ,but did you know her maiden name is Eastman ...........as in Eastman / Kodak ! You could say she was born to take photos , one look at these gorgeous pics ...........you will hardly be able to put it down !

[Harry Burnside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. Linda's pictures were great and the text she wrote giving background information for each picture was very informative and interesting.

A great book.
After visiting the Linda McCartney exhibition at Glasgow' Art Galleries I bought her coffee table book called Life in Photography. I didn't buy it at the venue where they wanted £30 for it. I just waited until I got home and found it brand new on Amazon for £21 and free postage and I gor it in two days.
I am a happy chappie.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this exhibit in Pennsylvania, what memories it brought back. Linda McCartney was not only a very talented photographer, she was able to capture the inner essence of the person she photographed. Who would have thought that John Lennon was a very insecure person. I found myself envious of her, to be a part of the lives of all these great musicians of the 60's.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, beautiful picture book of rock n' roll bands from the 60's, plus great insights from the perspective of the wife of a Beatle. Excellent, perfect for the time when I wanted to have lived in that era.

[M. Gallego · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful pictures of all Sixties rock and roll groups, not only The Beatles, but The Kinks, The Who, The Hollies, The Stones, and Hendrix, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin. And of course, Lovely Linda explaining how the sessions went on. A must for music lovers.

[Sherrill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool pictures of the early rockers. Given to me by my lovley daughter, Jennifer.

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most amazing photography book you could ever hope to own. Give it to a music lover and they will be astounded!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I wanted to record what was there - every blemish, every bit of beauty, every emotion..."

[Richard Epstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You had to be there."

"I was. Believe me, I was."

[Shelby Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the 60s, rock bands, and photography, this book is for you.