Dozens of photographs by rock photographer Kirk West are seeing the light of day for the first time at Macon Arts Alliance.

West began his career taking pictures in the blues clubs of Chicago, but he moved to Macon after he became the tour manager for the Allman Brothers Band.

One of the photographs on display at the exhibit is the cover of an Allman Brothers album that was never released. In December of 1991, West photographed the band in front of the Hay House, a historic mansion in Macon.

“They were doing four nights at the auditorium, they were trying to record a live album, and the acoustic properties of the auditorium were not conducive to making a high quality recording” West said. “They ended up not using the tapes, so we didn’t use the photographs.”

The exhibit also features West’s photographs of other artists such as Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, The Police, Buddy Guy, and Bob Marley.

Kirk West is scheduled to give a free talk about his work at the Macon Arts Alliance Friday at 5 p.m.

Tags: photography, Allman Brothers Band, Joshua Glasscock, Kirk West, Macon Arts Alliance