Keeping Time

Don Hunstein’s images of music’s most influential artists are unforgettable. As Columbia Records’ staff photographer for more than four decades, Hunstein earned the trust and confidence of the most celebrated singers, songwriters, composers, and musicians of our time, including Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Bernstein, Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk, to name a few. Hunstein photographed these greats with noticeable informality, demonstrating a perpetual ease with his subjects. With his relaxed approach, he was able to glean private moments from public lives filled with fascinating, telling, and intimate details. Logging his daily assignments, Hunstein created an archive of profound images that parallel the soundtracks to our lives. To this day, his work exists as a unique record chronicling the creative efforts and energies of the world’s greatest musicians.