Elegantly wasted: Unseen Rolling Stones photographs get London exhibition

An exhibition of original, previously unseen photographs of The Rolling Stones, ‘The Rolling Stones – Elegantly Wasted’,  is set to open in London. Running February 29 to March 5, at the J/M Gallery, Notting Hill, the candid images were taken by photographer ‘Spanish Tony’ Sanchez, when the band were at the peak of their creative powers. 

Spanish Tony (so named by Keith Richards) acted as a friend and fixer to the band, working and living with them, from their time with Beggars Banquet through to their exile in the South of France.

“Spanish Tony was a hard man. Biff bang! One of those. He ran a gambling casino for Spanish waiters, after hours. He was a dope dealer… with a Mark 10 Jaguar, two-tone, all done up pimp-style,” Keith Richards told Life, in 2010.

These recently rediscovered prints stand as one of the most important photographic records of The Rolling Stones to come to the market in years…

Sanchez had unprecedented access to the band. Although originally thought to be lost, but then found in a loft in South London, these photos are hailed as the most idiosyncratic shots of the band a collector could hope for, says exhibition organiser Bayliss Rare Books.

These recently rediscovered prints stand as one of the most important photographic records of The Rolling Stones to come to the market in years, it notes.

The exhibition opens as The Stones prepare to go on a new tour in support of their latest album Hackney Diamonds. The exhibition captures the parties, the live performances and behind the scenes antics. 

Matt Dominguez, Director of Spanish Tony Media, says: “This is a rare opportunity to see unique and unseen images of the band. Naturally there has been a lot of interested collaborators, however we chose to work with Oliver Bayliss due to his love of the band, his strong reputation and his ideas on exhibiting the collection tastefully.”   

Bayliss spent months trawling through the archive, scrutinising thousands of negatives and contact sheets. “Fans and collectors alike are in for a real treat,” he says. 

All twenty-seven limited edition prints will be available to buy via the Bayliss Rare Books website from February 28.