What do we know about this one?
1950s but when?
1930s Martin C-1? Who was the owner of the guitar?
What is in his mouth? Cigarette? Straw? Fault in the film?
I don’t know if anything specific on the date or circumstances of this photo has ever come to light, but there’s a quote in Robert Shelton’s “No Direction Home: The Life And Music of Bob Dylan” which apparently describes this shot and seems to place it as circa 1956-1957. During the spring of 1968, when Shelton was in Hibbing interviewing Abe and Beatty Zimmerman, he was given a tour around the home and was shown albums containing family photos. Abe Zimmerman remarked, “Bobby was fifteen when he posed with a cowboy hat on and a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. I sent the picture to him a while ago with his photo from the ad for Dont Look Back. It had exactly the same expression.”
The one on the left is Bob’s 1949 Martin 00-17, which is in that Experience Museum in Seattle. The Martin C-1 was an archtop guitar that was introduced during the Big Band era, when a guitar needed to be loud as a primary attribute
The Martin shown in Ed’s post is a Model 00-17, the one he played at the April 1961 Gerdes gig. The guitar young Bob is shown playing earlier was a totally different guitar; possibly an archtop model Martin C-1, vintage 1930s. It probably didn’t belong to him, but we don’t know.
Of great interest is when and where it was taken. Seems quite early. I was thinking possibly Dinkytown or earlier? Btw – The fellow who initially posted the photo on Facebook a couple of years ago was trying to learn any particulars. He said many years ago a co-worker of his dad made a copy for the dad. The co-worker (name not known at that time but the son was trying to find out) apparently grew up with Bob.
Subsequent information – – A little more is known about the photo. From word that was passed along many years ago, it was supposedly taken at a birthday party, either Bob’s or someone else’s. The fellow’s name who apparently grew up with Bob is Michael Scott. Name doesn’t ring a bell with me. I assume he either took the photo, knew the person who took it, or was present at the party. The poster and his father don’t know how to contact Mr. Scott, but perhaps someone in Hibbing (or Dinkytown) might recognize the name, or better yet, know something about when & where the photo was taken. It certainly looks like Bob at a very young age. To me, he seems younger than he appeared in his junior or senior class photos.
Further update – – Late in 2015 I passed along the photo to Bill Pagel who also had not seen it. Bill said he would make a few inquiries there in Hibbing. Since then I’ve learned nothing more.
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