ARCHIVE AND PERSONAL COLLECTION OF VINCENT VIGIL SUPPORTS NEW BOOK "EIGHT ARMS TO HOLD YOU"

Vincent Vigil collects rare prints, negatives, slides and transparencies. He has a photographers backround... and he talks about it...

"The 1st prints added to the collection were 2 images by Linda McCartney, purchased in 1988. Around ten years later, I began my photography studies in earnest, and began collecting. I would read about art collectors, and wanted to be one. I bought many books about collecting. There were some rules in that world. 1st, what subject did I want to collect, and 2nd, what years would I collect? I already had the Linda prints, and figured that was a good place to start. And in my mind, The Beatles truly ended on the night of December 8, 1980. So those 2 things are the basis of the collection,"  he says. 

Vintage transparency - Courtesy by Vincent Vigil

"The 1st image of my collection is a modern print by Geoff Rhind, showing John Lennon onstage with his group, The Quarrymen. While the last print is by Annie Leibovitz, of the iconic image of Lennon wrapped around Yoko Ono."

"I look at my collection as a historical puzzle, that is constantly expanding. The collection holds the work of Astrid Kirchherr, Albert Marrion, Jurgen Vollmer, Dezo Hoffman, Linda McCartney, Bob Freeman, Robert Whitaker and many more!"

Vintage transparency - Courtesy by Vincent Vigil

"Amazingly, my collection ended up having 30 vintage, on-set transparencies, taken on the set of The Beatles second film, 'Help!'. These transparencies are now the core of the collection.

Seeing that this was the 50th anniversary of the film, I contacted the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame + Museum to see if they might want to do a 50th anniversary exhibition. We ended up working out a deal that images from the collection will now go into the museums permanent collection. A collectors dream!"

From the Vincent Vigil collection - Courtesy by V.Vigil.

"Fate must have intervened, because I then went on to meet my mates, Paul Skellett and Simon Weitzman, from Archivum Publishing, who are putting together a book dealing with the movie, 'Help!'. They had been going through the archive of the UK news agency, Rex Features, specifically for the project, Vincent says,- the 3 of us have formed a mutual bond, and are ready to unleash the last word on, 'Help', 'Eight Arms To Hold You'. 

I have given permission for Archivum to utilize my collection, and couldn't be happier! Artist Paul Skellett is restoring all of the images found in the book, while Simon Weitzman keeps in contact nearly daily. A fine, professional outfit!".

Vincent Vigil

Vincent Vigil will be at the San Diego Beatles Fair, March 28, 2015, to discuss the book 'Eight Arms To Hold You'