Alex Bartsch

COVERS: Retracing Reggae Record Sleeves in London

Covers: Retracing Reggae Record Sleeves in London is a project by photographer Alex Bartsch documenting reggae album covers shot in London between 1967 and 1988. After years of research, and working in close collaboration with Al ‘Fingers’ Newman of One Love Books, Bartsch has identified and photographed more than 50 UK reggae sleeves in their original locations, holding them up at arm’s length to blend in with their surroundings, decades later. Presented in this way, the images document the passing of time, and provide a fascinating insight into the history of reggae music in the UK, a largely overlooked but immensely important part of Britain’s popular culture and musical identity.