Living Dangerously: Terence Spencer photography exhibition comes to Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery this summer
Images courtesy of the Terence Spencer Photo Archive
An exhibition of photography by war hero Terence Spencer is coming to the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery this summer, opening on Saturday 19 July. With two audacious careers, first as a World War II fighter pilot and later as a celebrated photo-journalist for American magazine LIFE; ‘Living Dangerously’ will showcase the work Terry did to capture momentous events from the swinging sixties and the rise of The Beatles to the horror of conflicts in the Congo, Vietnam and Northern Ireland.
The exhibition has been curated by Terry’s eldest daughter, Cara Spencer, who was left a remarkable photo archive of over one million negatives when her father passed away in 2009. Commenting on the new exhibition, Cara says:
“Dad led quite a life. He was a combination of Biggles and James Bond all rolled into one. The show will tell the story of his remarkable life, as well as the lives of those he captured so poignantly on film. We’ll have black and white reportage photographs and huge colour images, as well as memorabilia from his time in the RAF. I’m looking forward to sharing the iconic works and hidden gems of dad’s collection with visitors to the museum”.
There will also be pictures from Rockarchive, featuring Terry Spencer’s photos of stars including Marianne Faithfull, Robert Plant, The Police and The Smiths. Rockarchive’s founder Jill Furmanovsky says:
“Terry Spencer was a great friend to Rockarchive and contributed a collection of marvellous images, including Robert Plant striding through the woods of Herefordshire, John, Paul, George and Ringo in various settings and Bob Dylan at the Isle of Wight in his famous white suit”.
Tina Woodward, Shropshire Council deputy Cabinet member for visitor economy, said:
“The collection is simply amazing and I’m really proud to see such high quality exhibitions coming to the new Museum & Art Gallery. The wide variety of subjects in the collection means there is something for everyone to delve into.”
Run by Shropshire Council, the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery opened in April 2014 as the result of a major restoration project on the town’s old Music Hall, where The Beatles performed on two separate occasions in 1962/3. The ‘Living Dangerously’ collection of photographs, which takes its name from Terry and his wife Lesley’s joint autobiography, will be housed in the Special Exhibitions Gallery overlooking The Square and Old Market Hall.
The exhibition ‘Living Dangerously’ will run 19 July – 31 August. Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery is open 10am – 5pm, seven days a week. Admission is £4.00 per adult and £2.00 per child, which includes entry to the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Concessions are available. For more information visit www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk
Further Information
Terence Spencer
Terence Spencer was a World War II fighter pilot, was taken Prisoner of War twice, was highly decorated and then achieved a Guinness World Record for the lowest (34ft) parachute jump ever. He later became an award-winning photo-journalist for LIFE Magazine, for whom he covered stories all over Africa, from the horrors of apartheid in South Africa to the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya, the Congo revolution and the independence struggles in the emerging nations.
Returning to England in the early 1960s, Terry covered the swinging sixties and photographed The Beatles, travelling with them all over England and into Europe in the early days of their fame. He also photographed many other stars over the years, including Marianne Faithfull, Freddie Mercury, Boy George, Sting and even Princess Diana.
He and his wife, actress Lesley Brook, died within 24 hours of each other in 2009, after 62 years of marriage. He left his photo archive of over one million negatives to his eldest daughter, Cara. Terry and Lesley wrote a joint autobiography called ‘Living Dangerously’, first published in 2002.
Rockarchive
Rockarchive.com began as a website in 1998, founded by award-winning rock and roll photographer, Jill Furmanovsky. It is still the only art-print publishing house in the world dedicated to rock photography and represents the work of more than 60 top photographers. A small selection of what it publishes can be seen in the Shrewsbury Museum this summer as part of the ‘Living Dangerously’ exhibition.
Rockarchive has curated touring exhibitions for the British Council in China and Hong Kong as well as The Royal Albert Hall.
www.rockarchive.com/
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
The new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery opened its doors on 1st April 2014 following an £10m project to restore the town’s old Music Hall and a rare 13th century mansion. The entire collection, previously at Rowley’s House, has been reimagined for a modern audience, with exhibitions exploring subjects from geology to natural history via art, archaeology and costume. The Museum holds some of the nation’s most treasured Roman artefacts, as well displays inspired by the work of Charles Darwin, who was born and educated in the town. The Special Exhibitions Gallery houses a rolling programme of contemporary artwork.
