Icon Photographer Kevin Cummins

Manchester-born Kevin Cummins is considered one of the premier documentary photographers of his era. He began photographing the burgeoning Northern UK punk scene in the mid-1970s, documenting bands like the Buzzcocks and Joy Division.

Kevin spent ten years as the chief photographer for NME and was a founding contributor to the influential style magazine The Face, where he won an award for Magazine Cover of the Year. He captured some of the best-known images in modern music history and his work can be seen on countless magazine covers, record sleeves and book jackets, as well as decorating bedroom walls around the world.

Kevin’s work has been exhibited in art galleries and museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. His first monograph, The Smiths and Beyond, was published to critical acclaim in 2002. His most recent book, Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain (2009), is a beautiful tribute to the pop history and bands of his hometown.