1976 Het verhaal van een popfotograaf

It was never his intention to become a rock photographer. Starting in 1970, Gijsbert Hanekroot (b. 1945) was the first Dutch photographer to dedicate himself entirely to capturing rock artists and concerts. In 1972, he became the house photographer for the newly established music magazine OOR, where his unique approach redefined the genre of music photography. His work has graced the album covers of icons such as Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and the Bee Gees.

This book chronicles his era as a rock photographer through unique photo sessions from 1976—his peak year—featuring Bryan Ferry, Keith Richards, Bob Marley, Patti Smith, ABBA, and others. Furthermore, it offers a rare insider’s perspective on the evolution of Dutch music magazines like Hitkrant and OOR, and illustrates the inner workings of concert promoters and record labels in the 1970s. This continued until the late seventies, when the successful photographer had seen enough and decided to take his life in a completely different direction. His vast archive disappeared into boxes, remaining untouched until he picked up the thread again over twenty years ago, leading to worldwide exhibitions that continue to this day. For the first time, Gijsbert Hanekroot tells his full story.

Author Sidney Brandeis (b. 1968) has an extensive background as a program maker and artist manager. In 2014, at the age of 46, he launched a successful career as a DJ. During the pandemic, he assisted Hanekroot with social media and delved deep into the photographer's archives.

'Gijsbert quickly gave me a great deal of freedom to work with his archive. What immediately struck me was the incredible volume of work he produced in such a short span of time—and how much of it has been etched into our collective memory. During our interviews, I discovered his singular way of seeing, the exacting standards he set for himself, and how closely he managed to approach those seemingly unreachable stars. Anyone can take a good photo—Gijsbert took hundreds. Every image tells a story. Now, we finally know the circumstances in which they were captured.'

Publisher - GW Books

Language - Dutch Flemish

Perfect Bound

Contributors

By author

Gijsbert Hanekroot

Sidney Brandeis

Published Date - 2026-03-24

ISBN - 9789083626529

Dimensions - 25 x 21 x 0.9 cm

Page Count - 128