A series of rare behind-the-scenes photographs of rock stars and the world’s most iconic actors during the 1970s will be on display at the American Museum & Gardens in Bath.

The exhibition Shooting Stars runs from May 21 to October 31 and features a collection of 63 intimate natural portraits and lifestyle photos taken in America and the UK by ’70s model, actress and’ It Girl ‘Carinthia West.

The photographs, some of which have not been exhibited before, document the time, as well as his close personal friendships with Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, George Harrison, Eric Idle, Shelley Duvall, Helen Mirren, Neil Young and Anjelica Huston. , how they enjoyed life away from the limelight.

The only child of General Sir Michael West, the British NATO representative in Washington DC, and Lady Christine West, Carinthia grew up in the presence of some of the best known names in 20th century music, film and society. .

Carinthia said: “I used to go down the stairs as a child and would be greeted by British personalities such as Jonathan Miller of Beyond The Fringe, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook and Julie Christie.

“I have also attended cultural events and concerts at the British Embassy and the Kennedy White House, so being surrounded by famous artists and performers was quite normal for me.

West was discovered as a model at the age of 16 standing at a bus stop on The King’s Road in London by Beatles photographer Robert Whitaker.

Becoming a model gave her unprecedented access to the lives of those she worked with, so she decided to take her own camera to the set and keep a visual journal from there.

Carinthia has photographed anyone who has crossed her path, whether on the set of a movie or at one of the many late-night parties at Ronnie Wood’s beach house in Malibu.

She became a close friend of the stars and, in turn, they allowed her to photograph them in their free time.

Carinthia said: “All the photographs in this exhibition were based on trust, friendship and respect; we were just having fun together and I happened to have my camera.

Hollywood actress Anjelica Huston said: “Carinthia photographed us as friends; it was not a commercial atmosphere, it was friendship, and I think, for her, to record a certain era.

The exhibition, which is Carinthia’s largest to be held in the UK, features a number of stills that have not been seen publicly before, including a portrait of The brilliant Actor Shelley Duvall in between takes on the set of Robert Altman 3 women.

There’s also a series of snaps, called the “ Long Night, ” which document the night of Ronnie Wood’s son, Jesse, was born. It involved a last minute rush to the hospital in Neil Young’s hearse, at one of Ronnie’s parties.

These extremely intimate personal snapshots show the future father Ronnie and his companion Mick Jagger awaiting the arrival of Wood’s first child at the hospital.

Ronnie Wood said, “Carinthia was one of those people you would expect to have a camera… she took pictures while we continued to live.”

The collection on display also includes the 1976 images of Pink Floyd’s Animals shooting of the album. The Carinthian photographs of the now iconic inflatable pig floating above Battersea Power Station were chosen by the group for their current international traveling exhibition; Pink Floyd: their mortal remains exposure.

Shooting Stars Commissioner Steven Parissien said: “The photographs of Carinthia allow us to see people like Mick Jagger and Eric Idle as real people, rather than a refined version of themselves. They show a simpler time when people were less self-aware and obsessed with the way they looked at the camera.

“They also present an upbeat and dynamic take on the 1970s. I think the color, the fun and the lively exuberance of the exhibition act as a kind of antidote to the year we just had.

Shooting Stars: West Carinthia, Great Britain and America in the 1970s takes place from May 21 to October 31, 2021.

For more information, visit americanmuseum.org/