Picking a culturally significant image wasn’t vert difficult, especially choosing one that was meaningful to me. I love photography and art, and I had a few options to choose from for this assignment. Eventually, I settled with the Abbey Road photo – the cover to the Abbey Road album by the Beatles. Released in 1969, Abbey Road marked the 11th studio album released by the famous rock band and solidified their previous success. This photograph is a symbol of cultural as well as a historical symbol in the context of music.
It is a cultural symbol for a few reasons. To this day, tourists traveling to London take pictures crossing the crosswalk on Abbey Road, just as the Beatles did in the famous photograph. There is even a webcam set up to video all of the people at the location, and it streams over the internet on a website. It helped put the Abbey Road recording sutdio, EMI, on the map, and it became the site where the soundtracks to The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars have been recorded, as well as the sounds of Pink Floyd, Badfinger, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
The image itself signifies rock and roll in the 60’s and 70’s – the height of superstars, idols, and an age of artistry and originality. It was the time period in which musical artists broke the mold and took stage with risk and untouchable qualities. It is clearly important because to this day, decades later, it remains a cultural symbol that people of all ages travel near and far to see. Britain even named it a sight of “cultural and historical importance” when it was in jeopardy of being sold a few years ago. It is seen to be a part of English and musical heritage.
The photograph itself looks aged. With todays technology, a photographer could take a much clearer, cleaner, more precise image of the Beatles crossing the road. However, the authentic look of the photograph makes it more historical and cultural to music fans and London tourists, and there is no point in penalizing a photographer who couldn’t use technology that wasn’t invented yet. I think the fuzzy look of the photograph is generally appreciated by viewers. Many don’t know that the historic photo was taken in 10 minutes while local police held up traffic as the world-famous artists crossed the road. The photographer stood on a ladder and snapped the timeless photo of the band. Personally, I love the lighting and the way the photograph is set up. The band is all in sync as they cross, and because the idea was originally though of by Paul McCartney it undeniably screams “Beatles”.
In conclusion, the Abbey Road picture has been and still remains a symbol of rock and roll, stardom, and the significance of a small London neighborhood to people all over the globe. The simple photograph is a visual image for the Beatles as well as for the era in which they thrived.
mollyriddles 