Howdy! The Bluecoat are looking for photographs that reflect Liverpool’s love of country and western music, dancing and fashion. The photographs will be displayed with other archival materials and contemporary works of art as part of Honky Tonk, an exhibition that will feature at the Bluecoat in the summer.
According to music historian Kevin McManus, Liverpool has been the ‘Nashville of the North’ since the 1950s. The city benefitted from transatlantic shipping traffic as sailors and travellers brought home records from the United States that were hard to find in the UK. Even the Beatles embraced country music in their early recordings. Burtonwood, a nearby American airforce base, also made a crucial impact bringing the city into direct contact with music from the Southern states and spawning home-grown country from the likes of Hank Walters. Performers like the Hillsiders and Birkenhead’s Charlie Landsborough carried on that tradition, whilst the connection to Texas continues today with local musicians like Mike Badger who regularly plays at the SXSW showcase in Austin.
The stories and style of country music, which allows for lots of people to sing and join in, plus perhaps the glamour of Western fashion, was what made Liverpool’s country scene thrive. An energetic fascination with cowboy culture in the city is also evident: Buffalo Bill visited in 1891 and in the 1950s Roy Rogers stayed at the famous Adelphi Hotel with his horse, Trigger. In the 1950s and 60s pubs along the dock road were the equivalent of honky tonks you might have found in Texas or Tennessee. Do you have photographs taken in those pubs?
Please send your copies of photos to: Sara-Jayne Parsons, Exhibitions Curator, the Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX, or e-mail sara.p@thebluecoat.org.uk. (Please do not send files larger than 8mb).
Please include the following details where possible:
- where and when the photograph was taken
- who took the photograph
- who or what is depicted in the photograph
- your contact details
Please do not send originals as the Bluecoat are unable to return materials. You will be notified if your photo has been selected for inclusion in the exhibition.