Grateful Dead’s 60-Year Legacy Captured in ‘An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995,’ New Photo Book and Exhibition from Jay Blakesberg and David Kordansky Gallery
The Grateful Dead, photo by Jay Blakesberg
60 years after the Grateful Dead emerged to the eyes of the world from San Francisco’s countercultural revolution, their legacy lives on through generations of successors carrying their musical mantle and the vivid memory of their long, strange trip, meticulously preserved by the fans who committed themselves to capturing the band’s message and movement. In honor of the legendary group’s landmark anniversary, David Kordansky Gallery has announced An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995, a new photo book that provides a comprehensive visual record of their rise and reign from the photographers closest to the band during their unforgettable heyday.
An American Beauty compiles 275 images curated and edited by the acclaimed photographer Jay Blakesberg and his daughter Ricki–over 150 of which are printed for the first time–from 32 celebrated photographers including Herb Greene, Ron Rakow, Adrian Boot, Alvan Meyerowitz, Rosie McGee, Jonathan David Sabin, Beth Sunflower, Bob Minkin, Ed Perlstein, Bruce Polonsky, Andy Leonard and Blakesberg. Pairing iconic shots with unseen backstage moments and portraits of the Dead’s passionate community, the book traces the band’s evolution from their roots in the Haight-Ashbury scene to the realization of their grandest artistic ambitions as one of the most influential touring outfits of all time. The text for this book was written by Grateful Dead Historian, Blair Jackson.
Beyond its unprecedented printed tribute to the Dead, An American Beauty arrives as the catalog for Blakesberg’s beloved and evolving exhibition series, which most recently chronicled the band’s earth-shaking story during Dead & Company’s 2024 sphere residency with the Dead Forever Experience. Tomorrow, July 15, an updated version of the exhibit, which shares the book’s title, will open at Los Angeles’ David Kordansky Gallery, founded on Blakesberg and Kordansky’s shared devotion to the music and memory of the Grateful Dead and featuring a total of 60 photographic prints of the band’s many distinct eras. The opening event will include a panel discussion with Blakesberg, McGee, Rakow and The Hollywood Reporter’s Co-Editor-in-Chief Shirley Halperin, as well as a book reception and signings.
“It is incredibly special to see this wild, beautiful, and unique thirty-year span of rare Grateful Dead images come to life here within the hallowed halls of David Kordansky Gallery,” Ricki Blakesberg shared. “Assisting David and my dad, Jay Blakesberg, in the curation of this exhibit has been an immense honor, and demonstrates just how powerful the Grateful Dead continues to be in their ability to inspire across generations.”
An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 will be officially released on August 1–the late Jerry Garcia’s birthday–and is available to pre-order now at rockoutbooks.com. Learn more about the David Kordansky Gallery exhibit, on view through August 16, and tomorrow’s opening event at davidkordanskygallery.com.
