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| Elvis Presley performing at the Olympia Theater in Miami, Florida, 1956. |
Rare images of Ali, Elvis and the Beatles, discovered in an 8 X 10 Kodak paper box, were lost in time, stashed in a closet for decades. Charles Trainor Jr., the son of Miami News photographer Charles Trainor, found the negatives of the iconic images while helping his mother move from his childhood home in Miami. “I kept finding negatives everywhere,” Trainor said.
“I sat for weeks looking at every single frame and just finding gems that, at the, time weren’t considered maybe great images but 50 years later they are fantastic images!” Trainor said.
He is especially impressed with the Elvis pictures. “He was using a camera where there is one shot, BOOM! You would have to pull the film out, turn it around and put it back in. It took three minutes to shoot a picture. His composition, if you look at the photograph of Ali boxing with the kids, his lower angle of the house, that all leads into the subject.
“I have to give my dad credit” Trainor says. His father found an artsy way to record these celebrities. Aesthetically pleasing, technically proficient, the images stand the test of time.
Armando Arorizo, owner of The Perfect Exposure Gallery, met Trainor during the NBA Finals in Miami. “We sat for lunch at the AmericanAirlines Arena and I was told about the great images on film Charlie had discovered. “There is still a great demand for those early images shot on film. They are rare single frame shots, unlike today, with the click, click, click of a motor drive,” Arorizo said.
The reception opens at 6-9 tonight, August 18, at The Perfect Exposure Gallery 3519 West Sixth Street, Los Angeles, Ca. 90020.
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| Mohammad Ali and the Beatles at the 5th Street Gym on Miami Beach 1964 |
Intersection of Greatness-The Legends Meet in Miami features rare historical images of The Beatles, Elvis and Mohammad Ali captured against a Miami backdrop. This exhibit honors monumental anniversaries in pop history as 2011 marks 50 years since the Beatles had their first ever gig at The Cavern in Liverpool and 55 years since a trio of firsts for Elvis: RCA single release: Heartbreak Hotel, movie appearance: Love Me Tender and television appearances.
Charles Trainor (1927-1987) was a photographer in Miami from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. During the middle years of the last century Trainor crossed paths with subjects that would become icons in the present day. The photos of Elvis, The Beatles, and Ali not only defined his photography but also a city that was becoming a player on the world’s stage. Miami was the point in all three of their history where the world took noticed, two with concerts and one with a fight. Trainor’s dramatic photograph of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy caught the attention of the late President who requested a copy of the photograph and returned one to Trainor with his signature. Over the years Trainor’s work was published in national and international publications: LIFE and LOOK Magazine, PARIS MATCH, GEO, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, ROLLING STONE Magazine and various books and documentaries.
The Perfect Exposure Gallery is the recognized venue in Southern California to display the work of award winning and accomplished photojournalists as well as works of photographers that regard artistry and craftsmanship as a standard of excellence. The mission of the Perfect Exposure Gallery is to present exhibits free of charge to the general public with the following goals to exemplify the rich variety and impact of photography, freedom of expression, a forum for the aesthetic, the contemptible and the sublime.
Magnum Photographer Eli Reed says, “If you are a serious photojournalist with work that means something to you. The Perfect Exposure Gallery is the perfect place to show your work.”
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 18th from 6-9pm
Exhibit Dates: August 19th – September 18th, 2011
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am-5pm
Location: The Perfect Exposure Gallery 3519 West Sixth Street, Los Angeles, Ca 90020
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| Mohammad Ali in Miami, Circa 1960's. http://bit.ly/RareAliBeatlesElvisPhotos |
