Noted musician and photographer Phil Zimmerman has donated his entire collection of historic bluegrass-related photographs and early recordings to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
The collection includes reel-to-reel audiotapes from the first multi-day, outdoor bluegrass festival held in 1965 in Fincastle, Virginia. Additional audiotapes of early bluegrass festivals feature Bill Monroe, The Osborne Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Mother Maybelle Carter, along with the original equipment on which the recordings were made.
“I’m proud of the historic bluegrass photographs I’ve taken and original reel-to-reel recordings I’ve made of early bluegrass performances, and I’m delighted and honored that the prestigious Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum has offered my work a lifetime home as part of its permanent collection,” Zimmerman said.
Many of the images in this collection can also be found in his book Bluegrass Time, which is also available through the museum.
Executive Director of the Hall of Fame Chris Joslin said he has long been a fan of Zimmerman’s work. Many of Zimmerman’s photographs were featured in an exhibition at the Hall of Fame in 2008.
“Phil Zimmerman has an energy and passion for bluegrass music that reminds me why people are drawn to this music and to the community of bluegrass,” Joslin said. “His photography is compelling because he captured historical moments in bluegrass music that were also part of his personal story. Not only did he document people like Bill Monroe, he also played music with Bill Monroe and developed a friendship with him and many of the other artists he photographed.
Based in Connecticut, Zimmerman is a professional bluegrass musician, photographer, teacher, and arts administrator who has performed all over New England during the past 50 years.
In 1972, he was co-founder of the band Last Fair Deal in the Hartford area, which is still performing to this day, playing primarily mandolin, banjo, and guitar. During his career, Zimmerman also worked very closely with his long-time collaborator, Grammy-winning Stacy Phillips.
