A Private View, A Talk, World Record Store Day, Sir Peter Blake and more

Private view for Dobells Jazz Folk Blues

Another lively season for CHELSEA space starting with the private view for Dobells Jazz Folk Blues. There was a fantastic crowd out to celebrate this iconic record shop and its founder, Doug Dobell, including CHELSEA space regulars and Dobell’s staff and customers going back to the 1940s.

Dobell's staff member Brian Harvey with music photographer Val Wilmer

Brian Harvey, who was one of Doug Dobell’s earliest staff members, was quite moved when he saw the original Dobells record rack on loan from Museum of London.

Brian Harvey (centre) gets an autograph from Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong whilst Doug Dobell (right) wistfully contemplates the scene

original Dobells record rack on loan from Museum of London

He recalled installing the rack in the bookshop of Doug’s father, Arthur, at 77 Charing Cross Road and how the records gradually took over the entire shop! Opened by Doug’s grandfather Bertram in 1887 Dobell’s was one of the first antiquarian bookshops on the Charing Cross Road. Bertram was the first tenant in this new building constructed after London slum clearances and the shop kept the family name until it was demolished in 1981.

Francesca Stuttle, Stephen and Stephanie Willats

Dobell’s was very popular with the art crowd. Stephen Willats has a collection of 78 rpm discs on Dobells’ own 77 Records label and was a regular visitor to the shop. Stephen, who showed The West London Social Resource Project at CHELSEA space, is opening his new show this week at Modern Art Oxford

Monica and Don Sollash with his 'I've Heard The Sound of Dobells' sweatshirt

We were very honoured to see Don and Monica Sollash at the opening, Don opened Dobell’s Brighton store in 1957 and married Doug Dobell’s daughter Monica in 1958.

Don Sollash, Doug Dobell, and Joe Williams

Don can be seen with many iconic Jazz musicians in photographs in the exhibition, Monica also worked administering the family firm and they were both still working at Dobell’s until its final closure in 1992.

writer Guy Brett with artist Bruce McLean

Artist Bruce McLean, who showed Process Progress Project Archive with us in 2006, worked in the Jazz venue the Bulls Head in Barnes and remembered meeting important American musicians at Dobells including Roland Kirk. He is seen here with art writer Guy Brett who has just finished work for the excellent monograph on Rose Finn-Kelsey published by Ridinghouse Editions. CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith has  recently contributed a chapter on working with Bruce McLean for the book All This Stuff: Archiving The Artist

Fashion designer Lloyd Johnson and Film maker Paul Tickell both had their own Dobells stories

CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith with musician Jona Lewie

Musician Jona Lewie, famous for his song You Will Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties, was another regular at the shop and is good friends with Martin Colyer, son of  Dobell’s stalwart staff member Bill Colyer.

A young Martin Colyer holds his pushchair whilst Don Sollash, Martin's mother Betty and his cousin Ray look on at the Dobell's Brighton shop in 1957

Martin, who studied at Chelsea School of Art has written an excellent blog about the Dobell’s show and private view and has included some rare photographs from his family album

DJ Jeff Dexter (right), seen here with Fosit Forsythe, was another Dobell's regular

 

Peter Halley takes in the Dobell's show at CHELSEA space

We were honoured to see the American painter Peter Halley in CHELSEA space.

installation view of Peter Halley's current exhibition at Waddington Custot

Halley’s excellent new show has just opened at Waddington Custot Galleries in London and the catalogue essay is by our good friend Jo Melvin who curated the show The Ping Pong Dialogues at CHELSEA space

Leon Parker puts a record on the deck at CHELSEA space

This Wednesday saw the first of our ‘open deck’ sessions for vinyl record enthusiasts. These events are being organised by Leon Parker of the British Record Shop Archive who has worked tirelessly with CHELSEA space to make the Dobell’s show happen, ever passionate about the importance of independent record shops, irrepressibly energetic in sourcing materials and making contacts.

Brian Peerless with the cover for 77 Records 1961 album 'High In A Basement'

audience at the Brian Peerless talk

The vinyl session was followed by an excellent talk by Brian Peerless who worked at Dobells from 1962-1992. The talk included some great history, lots of good music,  and rarely heard anecdotes. Some of the audience who knew Dobell’s and Brian added to the event with lively interjections and stories of their own.

Ben Webster and Sarah Vaughn photographed by David Redfern at the Newport Jazz Festival 1967. From a boxed set of prints commissioned by Dobell's and Pan American Airways

The vinyl sessions are every Wednesday afternoon throughout the show and the next talk at CHELSEA space is with music photographer David Redfern 6-7.30pm Wednesday 15th May. The event is free but RSVP to info@chelseaspace.org is essential.

World Record Store Day billboard, Nashville USA. photograph: Jason Brown

The show was also timed to coincide with World Record Store Day and here is a photograph of an advertisement taken in the USA by our good friend Jason Brown who generously ran CHELSEA cab for us until he moved to Nashville Tennessee.

Disquaire Day, Paris

Record Store Day originated in USA and was quickly adopted in the UK and elsewhere. This advertisement was photographed in Paris just to prove Record Store Day is now a worldwide event!

Chelsea Arts Club Trust Research Fellow at CHELSEA space Kate Ross

Ashley Family Foundation Research Fellow at CHELSEA space, Daisy McMullan, (right) with textile designer Melanie Bowles at the opening of Geometrics Volume 1

The talks, vinyl sessions and other events are organised by CHELSEA space Research Fellows Daisy McMullan and Kate Ross as part of the wider CHELSEA public programme. Daisy and Kate have been busy with a range of projects for CHELSEA space including the exhibition Surface that they curated for our sister space Chelsea Futurespace, and the selection of artists for our Gate Curate project in collaboration with the Gate Theatre Notting Hill and Chelsea Arts Club Trust.  Both Daisy and Kate are working on projects away from CHELSEA space too, most recently Kate Ross has been developing a new exhibition programme for the Notting Hill Arts Club and the Chelsea Salon series, whilst Daisy McMullan has just curated the textiles project The Geometrics: Volume 1.

Sir Peter Blake 'Babe Rainbow' silkscreen print 1968

And finally we are pleased to announce that we are about to launch a solo exhibition with Sir Peter Blake at our sister gallery, Chelsea Futurespace. The show entitled Four Decades is an exhibition of prints selected by the artist and will open with a private view on Tuesday 14th May. Peter showed with us most recently at CHELSEA space in the group exhibition Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place.