...Now more than 50 years later, very few of these original prints survive.
In 1967, 17-year-old high school student Ed Caraeff, found his way to the front of the stage at the Monterey Pop Festival. The young photographer was there to experience the music – but also catch snaps of some of the big acts due to perform; Otis Redding, The Grateful Dead, The Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane. A tap on his shoulder from a fellow photographer and Ed turned around. “Save some film for this Jimi Hendrix cat.” And that simple advice from one photographer to another would change Ed’s life – forever.
Caraeff captured the iconic “Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar on stage” photo that day – a moment in music history that launched Hendrix into legend. Caraeff would work closely with Hendrix for the next two years, photographing seven memorable gigs in California and developing his own prints and selling them to local papers and radio stations.
Now more than 50 years later, very few of these original prints survive. Iconic Images and the Ed Caraeff Archive are pleased to offer one of these rare vintage prints, taken at the Newport Pop Festival held in Costa Mesa, California, in August 1969. This print was taken and developed by Ed Caraeff with annotations on reverse, including the photographers signature.
