Lou Reed, 1974

Lou Reed, 1974

American musician, singer and songwriter Lou Reed, former vocalist and lead guitarist of rock band The Velvet Underground, photographed in Manchester, England, in May 1974.

The Photographer - Kevin Cummins

Manchester born Kevin Cummins has a reputation as one of the world's leading photographers. His iconic portraits of musicians include Joy Division, Liza Minnelli, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Philip Glass, Oasis, and David Bowie.

These images have appeared on magazine covers, in art galleries and international films, and are included in the collections of The National Portrait Gallery and The V&A, among other institutions. Cummins captured key moments in the Manchester music scene – images which helped define the cultural history of the city. They not only portrayed people and places but created a new way of looking at Manchester; they remain embedded in the cultural memory of the north. Bedroom walls all over the world are decorated with his work. Cummins has published eleven critically acclaimed monographs to date. The most recent among the twelve critically acclaimed monographs he has published are While We Were Getting High: Brit Pop and the ‘90s, Joy Division: Juvenes, and Telling Stories: Photographs of The Fall, which were all named as Rough Trade books of the year. He has lived in London since 1987 but retains strong links with his home city.