The exhibition at Creative Scotland includes a number of prints of the Scottish acts he captured in the post-punk period – such as The Dreamboys (featuring Peter Capaldi - years before he learnt to swear and mutated into Malcolm Tucker - looking cute and wholesome as bow-tied front man of Glasgow band The Dreamboys, with favourite US late-night chat show host, Craig Ferguson on drums playing live at Glasgow School of Art), The Laughing Apple (Featuring Alan McGee who went on to form the mega successful Creation Records), Claire Grogan of Altered Images, The Bluebells and Billy Mackenzie, and a number of other luminaries of the pre-punk, new wave and post punk period, such as The Clash, Bowie, Specials AKA, Gil Scott-Heron, and the militant gay triumvirate of Jimmy Somerville, Tom Robinson and Andy Bell (shot before he went on to become a member of Erasure) as they march for homosexual equality.
The exhibition includes a large selection of the works plus a digital slide show giving scope to the all of the works that are in the collection of Street Level. Front covers of Sounds, NME's, and a number of Scottish fanzines are wallpapered in the adjacent room, giving a flavour to the time of the late 70s and early 80s.
Information about the exhibition that ran from 17th December 2011 until 25th February 2012
Harry began his photographic career in his Glasgow home town, standing outside the Apollo, flogging gig-goers newly-developed shots from bands' Edinburgh shows the night before. Harry's impulse to guerilla lensmanship swiftly drew him to London: from 1979 to 1984 he was a staff photographer for the music weekly Sounds, providing countless front covers. During those five years, Harry's photographs covered the post-punk waterfront, from Blondie to David Bowie; the Associates to Devo by way of Joy Division, Bryan Ferry, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Birthday Party, The Cramps, The Clash, Altered Images, Penetration, The Specials and Suicide (not to mention Wham!, ABC and Spandau Ballet).
At that time, Harry's London flat also became home to fellow Scots migrants like Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Josef K and The Bluebells. Harry thus became one of the first few photographers to capture the fey arrogance of Edwyn Collins and his Postcard cohorts, and subsequently appeared in the Derek Jarman video for 'What Presence'. Several of these photos comprise Harry's first career retrospective at Street Level Photoworks.
In addition to the expected band portraits and live-action front-row shots, there are a host of unique photos: salute the militant gay triumvirate of Jimmy Somerville, Tom Robinson and Andy Bell as they march for homosexual equality. Savour Peter Capaldi - years before he learnt to swear and mutated into Malcolm Tucker - looking cute and wholesome as bow-tied front man of Glasgow band The Dreamboys (with favourite US late-night chat show host, Craig Ferguson on drums). Taste the flying mud, baying skinheads and noxious aroma at T In The Park's ill-fated grandsire, the 1980 Loch Lomond Festival.
Harry was born in 1954 in Helensburgh and attended Penilee Secondary School, then on to Paisley College of Technology where he gained a BSc. in Electrical Engineering. In 1976 he attended Jordanhill College, and became a teacher of Maths and Physics. He is a self-taught photographer whose interest was inspired by taking photographs at gigs in the late 1970's. Following a long and productive stint at Sounds music weekly as a photographer, Harry became editor of Marvel Comics publications such as Care Bears, Flintstones, and Star Trek. In August 2002 Harry suffered a brain aneurysm and returned to Glasgow in February 2006.
The exhibition was co-curated by Ken McCluskey.
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 All of the above images: on location at Creative Scotland. |
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The Bluebells performing at the opening  |
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 Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice |
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 Associates |
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 The Clash |
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 Vic Godard of Subway Sect.
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