In November 1985, photographer Stephen Wright was asked to meet The Smiths at Salford Lads' Club for a photo shoot. Thirty years later, he's releasing commemorative signed prints of the infamous shot. This iconic image has been accepted as part of the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, the Manchester Art Gallery and the Salford Art Gallery. Quite amazing when you consider that the original film was processed in a bedroom / darkroom, with the chemicals kept in old drinks bottles!
Stephen says:
'I count myself so very lucky, as a huge fan, to have got the opportunity to see and shoot The Smiths live and then to get to meet them and shoot the Salford Lads image.
The first Smiths live show I shot was in 1984 at the Free Trade Hall – I was so skint I could only afford one reel of film and had to walk a long way home. From this show I caught the shot of dead flowers hanging from his jeans. My favourite now is of Morrissey waving flowers above his head – I took it from the side of the stage hidden in the lighting rig . More live shows followed and then Rough Trade asked me to shoot a session …
The Salford Lads session was shot on a cold, dark, winter day – yet somehow it has a darkness that sets the right mood. It seems so casual and un-posed and in a way that’s just how it came together.'
Clearly Morrissey liked the results.
Since then Stephen has donated work and proceeds from the sale of The Smiths photographs to charitable causes, raising an fantastic £45,000 for Salford Lad's Club itself from a photo taken during the same shoot.
So if you fancy a piece of The Smiths' history, each print is produced on 250gram silk card and is A3 – about 29 x 41cm signed by Stephen in an open edition. Prints are supplied unframed, and the cost is £19 + £5 worldwide post and packing.
Buy The Smiths print.