325 Spring Street, New York City was the former location of Factory Records’ US operations in the form of Factory US and Of Factory New York.

In 2017 photographer Sean Vegezzi took an amazing series of photographs of the upper floors of the building which were completely empty. Factory was in Room 233 and it's quite possible that some of the pics show the location of the old office. However, with most of the building contents completely stripped out it is not possible to discern exactly where it was.

In September/October 1986 the video / sculpture / installation 'Compact' designed by Peter Saville took place at the White Columns art gallery which was also located in the building. This was commemorated by the Fac 171 poster.

Many thanks to Sean Vegezzi for the photos and for giving factoryrecords.org permission to use them. I have published them as a series of three mini photo galleries on Instagram in order to do justice to the detail that they show. These are also embedded on the main page for 325 Spring Street on this site.

Labels: 325_Spring_Street, Factory_US, OFNY, Peter_Saville, photography, Sean_Vegezzi, USA

Whilst Cerysmatic was on hiatus (sorry about that, Ed.), Philippe Carly produced a coffee table photography book devoted to La Raffinerie, the celebrated Brussels concert venue on Rue de Manchester (where else!?). Two years down the line and Carly is working to crowdfund an Addendum version which will fill in the gaps not covered by the original book.

Between 1979 and 1986, La Raffinerie was a magnet for new wave bands such as Echo and the Bunnymen, A Certain Ratio, Eyeless in Gaza, The Birthday Party, and, of course, Joy Division.

The Addendum will be a separate book of the same size (30cm square) produced with the same materials and look and feel of the first on. It will just have fewer pages and be cheaper.

The Addendum edition will also only be available to those people who back this crowdfunding exercise. It will be strictly limited to the number of copies ordered via ulule.com.

Various backing options are available with one of the more extravagant ones being to attend a private release party at the grand old venue itself on 17 January 2020, the 40th anniversary of Joy Division's second gig there.

For more details and to see all the crowdfunding options, please refer to ulule.com.

Labels: Au_Plan_K, book, history, Philippe_Carly, photography

The Factory Too era saw a new selection of graphic designers ushered in to work with the small but perfectly formed roster of artists assembled by Tony Wilson. Ed Templeton, the artist, photographer and professional skateboarder was a key element of this phase, working not only with Hopper but also on wider label-spanning projects like the Fac 2.24 1996 Christmas card.

However, it didn't stop there. One one of my many visits to the AHW Archives at the Science and Industry Museum I uncovered a selection of captioned photographs by Ed including the following pair - "WHEN WE WERE KIDS ..." and "TIME WAS GIGANTIC" (in that order). Roll on October 1998 and The Durutti Column's new album Facd 2.31 'Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids' is released on compact disc and the rest is history. A dexterous swapping of the sequence and the moving of an ellipsis and there you have your brand new album title.

Labels: Ed_Templeton, graphic_design, photography, The_Durutti_Column

Lee McFadden (Alternative TV) interviewed Paul Slattery to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his photoshoot with Joy Division in Stockport, the Stuff The Superstars gig, and later on that year at the Electric Ballroom. The complete interview is on Soundcloud (embedded above) courtesy of Steve Worralll's Retrosonic Podcast and Retro-Man blog [->].

Paul Slattery's book 'Joy Division at Strawberry Studios' is published by Legends Publishing [->] priced GBP 20.00.

Labels: book, interview, Joy_Division, Lee_McFadden, Paul_Slattery, photography, RetroMan_blog, Retrosonic_Podcast

Negative photograph of Anthony Blunt as featured on the Gay Traitor cocktail bar list from FAC 51 The Haçienda.



Annotated photograph of Kim Philby (after whom the main bar in FAC 51 The Haçienda was named.

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A negative and photograph from the AHW collection, presumably dating from the pre-FAC 51 era as it was being planned.

Blunt and Philby were infamous members of the Cambridge Five, a ring of spies who passed intelligence information to the Soviet Union during and after World War Two.

The third bar at the Haçienda, Hicks, was named after the cryptonym of Guy Burgess, another member of the Five.



The Kim Philby Bar (neon sign as installed at FAC 491)

Labels: back_in_the_cellar, FAC51_The_Hacienda, photography

Photo of Bernard Sumner in USA by Anthony H Wilson - "What was I drinking last night?7/11/81"





Photo of Peter Hook in USA by Anthony H Wilson - "Peter in characteristic pose, Ozzie patiently awaits the next spliff, 7/11/81"





Photo of Ruth Polsky by Anthony H Wilson - "Half the Wilson dream fulfilled New Order on a palm-lined street in Pasadena - your agent is chuffed, 6/11/81"

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Set of three annotated colour photos taken by AHW of New Order, Ozzie and their agent, the late Ruth Polsky in Pasadena, California, USA on 6-7 November 1981. From the AHW collection.

Labels: back_in_the_cellar, Bernard_Sumner, New_Order, Peter_Hook, photography, Ruth_Polsky, Tony_Wilson, USA

Following on from the March 2015 publication via Rizzoli of Kevin Cummins's 'New Order' book, he has an exhibition of New Order photographs at Proud Galleries in Camden which runs from 23 April to 7 June.

Labels: exhibition, Kevin_Cummins, New_Order, photography

New Order by Kevin Cummins is published on 17 March by Rizzoli New York.

"A definitive collection of photographs of the legendary and influential band New Order. New Order remains one of the most popular bands of the last half century."

It features brand new interviews with the original band plus an introduction by Douglas Coupland and is the companion to Cummins's Joy Division.

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More FAC-related books

Labels: book, Kevin_Cummins, New_Order, photography

Happy Holidays Y'all!

With thanks to Tim Sinclair for getting into the festive spirit.

Labels: art, Christmas, photography, Tim_Sinclair

We are pleased no end to see a photographic monograph of the work of skateboarder / artist / photographer / social documentarian Ed Templeton who's noted in Factory Records circles for his work with Factory Too and Hopper in the Nineties.

Wayward Cognitions is published on 31 October 2014 by Um Yeah Press and is highlighted today by Jamie Bradley Sims in the New York Times.

Wayward Cognitions is available to pre-order now via Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Meanwhile, you are hereby ordered to follow Ed Templeton on Twitter and Facebook.

Labels: art, book, Ed_Templeton, photography

The Manchester Photographic Gallery is the venue for an exhibition of photographs of New Order by Kevin Cummins later this month.

Following an invitation-only private view on 11 June (with Q&A session featuring Kevin Cummins and Peter Hook) the exhibition, which features some unseen ones, is open to the public from Thursday 12 to Sunday 29 June.

Manchester Photographic
22 Lever Street
Manchester M1 1EA

Labels: exhibition, Kevin_Cummins, New_Order, photography

A new photographic portrait of the late great Tony Wilson is available to buy from Stephen Wright. It was taken by Stephen in the dressing room of FAC 51 The Hacienda in 1985 and comes in a limited edition of 500 12"x8" printed with a white border on 10x14" paper. The price is 125.00 GBP and includes a 25.00 GBP donations to Christies Hospital Manchester.

Also still available is the classic "Paean To Wilson" portrait of Tony with Vini Reilly for which the photo dimensions and pricing are the same.

More details and how to buy at smithsphotos.com [->].

Labels: photography, Stephen_Wright, Tony_Wilson, Vini_Reilly

Wishing Factory Records devotees worldwide a very happy Christmas!

Photographic manipulation by Tim Sinclair @ timsinclair.co.uk from an original photo of a photo by Chris.

Also available to download as wallpaper.

Labels: Christmas, photography, Tim_Sinclair

'Noise Annoys – Early Punk in Manchester' is a punk film night and panel discussion hosted by photographer Kevin Cummins at Kraak in Stevenson Square, Manchester about the post-punk explosion in Manchester arising from the seminal Sex Pistols gigs at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in 1976.

Kevin will welcome fanzine writer Steve Shy plus Denise Shaw and Dawn Bradbury to the event which will also feature a special screening of the Granada TV 'Brass Tacks' documentary film and a live set by Kill Pretty.

The event is presented in association with the Manchester District Music Archive and admission is free but spaces are limited. Please register for guest list places by emailing: info@mdmarchive.co.uk with 'Noise Annoys Event' in the subject field. Each guest should email MDMA individually.

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Kraak
11 Stevenson Square
Manchester M1 1DB

Friday 10 January 2014
Doors: 7pm

Labels: Kevin_Cummins, Manchester_District_Music_Archive, photography, talk

Check out the highlights of a photoshoot done by Inside Out Photography of the 'One Charles Street' FAC 251 Factory Records HQ from when it was the Factory offices and, it would seem, very sparsely furnished.

See also the Ben Kelly Design portfolio pages for a different perspective and additional commentary.

Labels: architecture, Ben_Kelly, FAC251_Factory_HQ, photography

An exhibition of the photographs of Stephen Wright who is famed for his iconic images of The Smiths, New Order, Tony Wilson and Vini Reilly and many others has a solo exhibition at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead from 9-29 September 2013.

Labels: exhibition, New_Order, photography, Stephen_Wright, The_Durutti_Column, The_Smiths

A limited edition photographic print is now available via smithsphotos.com of the complete version of the photo used on the cover of A Paean to Wilson by The Durutti Column. The 12" × 8" image is reproduced on 10" × 14" silver halide photographic paper. The photo is printed in one size only and is a limited edition of 500 priced 125.00 GBP each. Stephen Wright will sign and edition each print.

Stephen will also donate 25.00 GBP to Christies Hospital, Manchester, from the proceeds of each print sold.

Labels: news, photography, Stephen_Wright, The_Durutti_Column, Tony_Wilson, Vini_Reilly

Coming soon to timsinclair.co.uk, an ETSY shop which will feature photos taken by Tim Sinclair in limited edition box sets, posters and T-shirts featuring bands (including New Order), films, personal photos and illustrations.

Labels: New_Order, photography, Tim_Sinclair

The Lowry in Salford hosts a celebration of art, pop music and the life of one of Britain's most influential and best loved artists. Peter Blake and Pop Music runs from Saturday 10 November 2012 to Sunday 24 February 2013, showing music-inspired work spanning more than half a century.

Of particular interest to Factory Records and Joy Division fans will be a special collaboration with renowned rock and roll photographer, Kevin Cummins. The legendary NME photographer gave Blake permission to use an iconic, black and white image of Joy Divison's Ian Curtis, taken in the band's rehearsal room in 1979, to create a new piece of work using diamond dust.



Of the collaboration Cummins says: "The gallery that represents me is also Peter's and they approached me to see if I'd allow him to use one of my pictures. I didn't really have to think about it, with an artist like Peter Blake you're not going to say no, so I handed the photo to him to do as he wished.

"The collaboration is quite unusual as I'm used to my pictures being used in a clean way. I don't usually allow people to crop or edit them, so I was really pleased to see the results and find that Peter's use of the image was so respectful. He said that he found the image so strong that he could only put diamond dust around the edge of the photograph, rather than affect the focus of the image."

Also included in the exhibition which marks the 80th birthday of the Godfather of Pop Art, are props used on the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, a portrait of The Beatles themselves, artwork for the 2006 Oasis retrospective Stop the Clocks and Paul Weller's Stanley Road album plus much more.

Peter Blake Pop Music
The Lowry
Pier 8
Salford Quays
Greater Manchester
M50 3AZ

Tel: 0843 208 6000

The Love Will Tear Us Apart artwork is available to buy in a limited edition of 75 copies priced £1,200 direct from Atelier, Rose and Gray in Ramsbottom.

Labels: art, events, exhibition, Ian_Curtis, Joy_Division, Kevin_Cummins, Peter_Blake, photography

Electronic Beats presents an exhibition about New Order at .HBC in Berlin from 21 June to 4 July. True Faith features photography by Kevin Cummins and a complete set of Peter Saville's artwork for the band.

A catalogue will be on sale soon, featuring the exhibited artworks, photos, interviews with New Order and a Paul Morley essay

21 June - 4 July 2012
6-11pm (closed Sunday/Monday)

.HBC
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 9
10178 BERLIN

Labels: art, design, events, exhibition, graphic_design, Kevin_Cummins, New_Order, Peter_Saville, photography

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