On a recent afternoon at an estate sale outside Los Angeles, Lauren White found about 40 photos of the Rolling Stones taken during their American tour of 1965 — completely unclaimed in an unmarked box.
They're now on display in an L.A. exhibit, but no one has come forth as the photographer. My guess: Maybe Bob Bonis, an early U.S. tour manager, who recently released a book of photos including scenes from the same pool.
White, though, has her own theory: "My female intuition says that it was a girl. If you look at the photos, they look very vulnerable. They're so sweet," she says. "I don't think that a guy could evoke that kind of expression."
Considering the number of Brian Jones photos (see slide 13), perhaps an early girlfriend? White has done some research, but, she says, no one seems to care as much as she does. It's not like there's any shortage of photos of the Rolling Stones out there, after all.
"It's not, like, the craziest thing," she admits. "I guess it's the fact that I found them ... and that they hadn't been seen by anyone. You can't find them anywhere, and they're so beautiful."
White, who is also a musician, says she likes seeing the Stones in their early 20s on the cusp of fame. The photos are especially poignant in light of the band's recent announcement: They will be performing again this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first gig.
"I think it's kind of cool to see a band that you think of as these untouchable legends just hanging out," says White. "They're kids. They don't really know their future."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1MjI2NzUxMDEyNzQyMTY5MjQ2YzkwNA004))
