Photographer and record collector Alex Bartsch roamed all over London by bicycle to photograph the original locations of 42 reggae record sleeves released between 1967 and 1987.
It all began when Alex Bartsch bought the record Brixton Cat from Joe’s All Stars. As a resident of the Brixton neighborhood in London, he made his way to the market where the record sleeve photo had been taken so he could photograph it in the exact same spot it was created. He then did the same with Smiley Culture’s Cockney Translation sleeve, photographed at Battersea. He hasn’t been able to stop since.
Two years later, Alex Bartsch has immortalized 42 reggae record sleeves released between 1967 and 1987 from all over London. He’s gone to all kinds of lengths to make this happen, from climbing on rooftops to asking strangers for permission to go inside their homes. For some sleeves, it took months of research and asking around to find their exact locations.
Alex Bartsch has launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish all of the photographs in a book with One Love Books, entitled Covers: Retracing Reggae Record Sleeves in London. You have until December 6th to donate!
Article translated by Andrea Perdue