Amalie R Rothschild was the photographer in residence at New York City’s Fillmore East Theatre. Many of her photographs feature the incredible psychedelic lightshows for which the Fillmore was renowned.
From 1968 until it closed it’s doors in 1971 Bill Graham’s legendary venue was her unofficial home, the place where she was witness to the Who’s premiere of Tommy, Jimi Hendrix’s New Year’s Eve concerts, John and Yoko’s unexpected encore to a Frank Zappa gig, The Grateful Dead. Janis Joplin, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills and Nash ( and Young ) and Pink Floyd amongst others. Away from the Fillmore she photographed many world renowned artists including Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones and was there with her camera at the festivals at Woodstock and The Isle of Wight.
At the Fillmore East, rock music became theatre and the swirling psychedelic light shows that formed the backdrop to the musical performances defined psychedelia in visual terms. The Joshua Light Show, and later, Joe’s Lights, the pioneering light shows that deservedly received separate billing on the Fillmore East marquee, were the best in the business. As Amalie reflects, “These light shows were performances in their own right. The people behind the scenes who manipulated film, overhead and slide projectors, colour organs, strobe lights and a wealth of other equipment were just as much performers as the musicians onstage.”
A book of Amalie’s Fillmore photographs, ‘Live at the Fillmore East, A Photographic Memoir’, was published in 1999 by Thunder Mouth Press.
Amalie’s limited edition photographs are available to purchase in a range of size options.
Many examples of Amalie’s work were included in the major 2005 exhibition held at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, ‘The Psychedelic Sixties’.
