Here’s one thing Boomers and Gen Z can agree on: rock ’n’ roll continues to shape the world. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame continues to engage, teach, and inspire through the power of music. It shares songs and events that have shaped the world through digital content, innovative exhibits, live music, and engaging programs. The Hall also showcases music history through the genre’s iconic photographers and artists who have documented the movement over the decades.
To that end, the hall recently announced it has acquired over 100,000 images taken by the prolific Baron Wolman, who passed away in November 2020. The Baron Wolman Collection includes some of the most ground-breaking names in rock history, including B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Grace Slick, Howlin’ Wolf, Miles Davis, and Eric Clapton.
The collection includes negatives, transparencies, photographic prints, correspondence, general documents, and copies of Wolman’s published books. Wolman was Rolling Stone’s first chief photographer; countless issues of rock magazines with his images on the cover are on display. The public has never seen many of the collection’s images.
The archives also feature other rare and never-seen-before photos captured by influential African American photographers including Chuck Stewart, Bruce Talamon, and Bob Douglas. Images include soul and jazz musician, poet, and author Gil Scott-Heron; Billie Holiday performing at The Tiffany Club in Los Angles; and Kendrick Lamar performing “Blacker the Berry” and “Alright” at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
The Hall has reopened, and those who don’t want to travel to Cleveland can explore Rock Hall EDU (edu.rockhall.com). This free digital learning platform is full of resources and activities to engage students of all ages with resources developed and curated by an award-winning educational team. For homeschoolers, educational programs meet national and state learning standards in music, social studies, STEAM, and English. Also, listen to the new Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault podcast episodes on the iHeart Radio App and Apple Podcasts.
