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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will feature ELVIS 1956: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer

CLEVELAND – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will unveil its latest exhibit devoted to the King of Rock and Roll as a part of the Museum’s 15th anniversary celebration this September.

ELVIS 1956: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer will open to the public on Monday, September 13, in the Circular Gallery of the Main Exhibit Hall. Taken during the year Elvis turned 21, Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs are a remarkable visual record of a defining time for rock and roll’s most enduring figure.

1956 was the year Elvis first appeared in the national consciousness. His RCA records and national broadcast helped make him a star. Alfred Wertheimer, then a young freelance photojournalist, was there to document the extraordinary transition.

ELVIS 1956 is the first and last unguarded look at Elvis, featuring images of him in every aspect of his life—from performance and with the fans, to the recording studio and at home with his family. On stage and off, Elvis defined the notion of “rock style.” His electrifying synthesis of rhythm and blues, gospel, and country bridged traditional divides between white and black, urban and rural. For tens of millions of fans, Elvis transformed the beat of everyday life. His music and style helped launch a cultural revolution.

In addition, the Rock Hall has on display nearly 30 new artifacts on loan from the Graceland Archives and are located next to the photography exhibit. Highlights include:

· Shirt and belt Presley wore for performance rehearsals in 1970. Seen on the poster for the film Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.

· Hand-painted poster for Presley’s February 1955 performance in Memphis.

· Presley’s 1974 Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance for “How Great Thou Art,” the handwritten set list and jumpsuit from the show where the performance was recorded.

· Proclamation from the City of Memphis declaring February 25, 1961 to be Elvis Presley Day .

· A 1974 Guild acoustic guitar used by in concert by Presley in 1976.

ELVIS 1956 will be open through January 2, 2011.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.

The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 and Museum Members are always free, for information or to join the membership program call 216. 515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK(7625)

Image: Elvis Presley Alfred Wertheimer Govinda Gallery
www.rockhall.com

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