A search is underway to identify the photographer who took thousands of photos documenting the Bay Area counterculture of the 1960s, including early performances by the Grateful Dead.
Bill Delzell acquired the photographs along with a cache of unprocessed film and slides, but he still has no idea who originally shot them.
“Somehow the work ended up in a storage unit,” he told CBS News. “That unit was abandoned, a picker bought it. Sold it to a collector.”
When someone finally started to develop the hundreds of rolls of film, they discovered a trove of professional-quality photographs of important figures and events from the 1960s, including vivid scenes from the Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love, civil rights marches, and anti-war protests from the Vietnam era.
Among the collection were never-before-seen photos of the Grateful Dead and other bands, the Merry Pranksters‘ iconic Furthur bus, Muhammad Ali, and one of the best portraits of psychedelic pioneer Timothy Leary ever taken. One even shows legendary poster artist Stanley Mouse, who helped create the Dead’s iconography, walking through Golden Gate Park on his way to see the band.
Related: 1965 Acid Test Poster From Grateful Dead’s First Show Under New Name Up For Auction
“I was literally stunned by the quality of the work,” Delzell said. “They literally seem to be everywhere all the time.”
He went on to explain, “What is interesting about this is this film was completely unprocessed. These rolls of film were discovered in a box or bag, and none of these photographs were ever seen by the photographer that made them. … To spend five years, capturing these iconic moments of time, and then to have lost the work, just hit me really hard. It was unimaginable how that could happen.”
Delzell raised funds through a Kickstarter to finish developing the rest of the film and intends to display them in a gallery exhibition in the Bay Area. He also plans to preserve them with the Internet Archive and to document his research in a book and film.
Still, the central question remains: Who was the person behind the lens? Delzell said he has received hundreds of tips, but it’s a mystery he is still trying to solve.
To see more of the photos and learn about Delzell’s ongoing efforts to preserve and showcase this extraordinary collection, check out the videos below or visit the Kickstarter page.
Who Shot Me – Stories Unprocessed Kickstarter Project
CBS Evening News – Man seeks answers about mystery cache of photos from the 1960s
Search for mystery photographer who captured Bay Area history | KTVU