WELCOME TO MODERN ROCKS GALLERY
Modern Rocks Gallery is Austin’s independent rock n’ roll Photography Gallery since 2014. Dedicated to rare, iconic rock n’ roll photography and curated shows from the world’s most recognized photographers and artists, Owner Steven Walker (former member of Modern English) has evolved Modern Rocks Gallery into a trusted establishment that attracts private collectors, interior designers, art consultants, and high-profile projects from all over the world.
I photographed Hunter S. Thompson on the island of Cozumel, Mexico, in March, 1974, sitting on the seawall at El Presidente Hotel before being interviewed for the November 1974 Playboy Magazine. Hunter would usually wake up around 11 a.m., we'd work on the interview for a couple hours, and then head into town for the rest of the day. - Al Satterwhite
INTRODUCING AL SATTERWHITE
We are delighted to announce a new collection from photographer Al Satterwhite. Al Satterwhite began his photographic career in the 1960s, documenting the social and political upheaval of the era alongside the emerging worlds of music, art and counterculture. Working as both a photojournalist and portrait photographer, he photographed civil rights leaders, anti-war demonstrations and many of the defining musicians and cultural figures of his generation.
I photographed Stevie Wonder during a rehearsal session in Los Angeles not far from the Hyatt House where we met up. He was most gracious during the session and I tried several different angles finally moving in really close with a 16mm extreme wide angle lens inches from his fingers on the keyboard. Using large powerful electronic flash pointed into white umbrella reflectors, I was able to light him while keeping the background very dark. You can just make out some of the electronic controls in the background. - Al Satterwhite
August 30, 1974, Stevie rehearsing on his piano in Los Angeles for an upcoming concert.
Paul Newman puts on his gloves in preparation for the Sebring 12-Hour Race in March 1977. He is seen here wearing his famous Rolex Daytona watch that later sold at auction for over $17 million.
Pop Art Vintage Cameras by Antony Nobilo
Pop Art Vintage Cameras by photographer Antony Nobilo is a collection of large format prints featuring detailed studies of vintage cameras from his personal collection. Each photograph captures the elegant design and craftsmanship of classic photographic equipment, celebrating the analog era of photography.
Signed limited edition print of ZEISS IKON Contarex (Bullseye), 1959 by Antony Nobilo from his collection "Pop Art Vintage Cameras". Archival pigment print on Epson Premium Luster photo paper (260gsm), hand signed and numbered, available in three sizes
"A timeless vintage camera photograph from the personal collection. This piece captures the elegant design and craftsmanship of classic photography equipment, celebrating the analog era of photography" Antony Nobilo
CAMERA ORIGIN Stuttgart, West Germany
TYPE 35mm SLR
Nicknamed the 'Bullseye' for the prominent selenium meter cell encircling its viewfinder, the Contarex was Zeiss Ikon's no-expense-spared attempt to build the finest 35mm SLR in the world. Its over-engineered chassis, jewel-like controls and exquisite Carl Zeiss optics gave it a presence unlike any other camera of its era. Every lever, dial and engraving feels machined rather than manufactured — a system camera conceived as a piece of optical instrumentation rather than a consumer product. The Contarex attracted demanding studio photographers, scientific users and well-heeled collectors who wanted the absolute pinnacle of German engineering. Its Sonnar and Planar lenses, in particular, became legendary tools for portraiture and reportage among those who could afford them. The Contarex was so costly to produce that it is widely credited with bankrupting Zeiss Ikon's camera division — a flawed commercial decision, but a triumph of obsessive engineering that collectors revere to this day.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
Signed limited edition print of a LEICA M2 camera from 1957 by Antony Nobilo from his collection "Pop Art Vintage Cameras". Archival pigment print on Epson Premium Luster photo paper (260gsm), hand signed and numbered, available in three sizes
"A timeless vintage camera photograph from the personal collection. This piece captures the elegant design and craftsmanship of classic photography equipment, celebrating the analog era of photography" Antony Nobilo
CAMERA ORIGIN Wetzlar, Germany
TYPE 35mm Rangefinder
The Leica M2 is one of the great classic reportage cameras — a slightly pared-back sibling to the M3, built with 35mm framelines and a cleaner finder layout that made it especially beloved by photojournalists and street photographers. With its dense brass construction, vulcanite covering and silk-smooth advance, the M2 represents Leica at its most restrained and functionally beautiful. Favoured by generations of documentary photographers who preferred 35mm lenses, the M2 became deeply associated with the candid, humanist tradition that runs from post-war Europe into modern street photography. Many photographers consider the M2 the most elegant of all mechanical Leica Ms, precisely because its finder configuration was optimised for practical field use rather than prestige.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
Signed limited edition print of ALPA Prisma Reflex, c. 1950 by Antony Nobilo from his collection "Pop Art Vintage Cameras". Archival pigment print on Epson Premium Luster photo paper (260gsm), hand signed and numbered, available in three sizes
"A timeless vintage camera photograph from the personal collection. This piece captures the elegant design and craftsmanship of classic photography equipment, celebrating the analog era of photography" Antony Nobilo
CAMERA ORIGIN Ballaigues, Switzerland
TYPE 35mm Reflex Rangefinder
The ALPA Prisma Reflex is one of post-war Switzerland's most exacting camera designs —
compact in the hand yet engineered with the precision of a watch movement. Built by Pignons S.A., it combined rangefinder handling with a prism finder solution that gave the camera its name, creating a machine that felt both technical and unusually refined. With its sculptural top housing, deeply machined controls and interchangeable lenses, the Prisma Reflex belongs to that rare class of cameras that is as admired for its industrial design as for its photographic ambition. ALPA cameras were prized by exacting European professionals and technically minded photographers rather than mass-market amateurs. Their devotees included specialist studio, scientific and architectural users who valued Swiss tolerances above speed, and the broader ALPA lineage has long been collected by photographers drawn to the same precision-minded culture that surrounded Leica and Paillard-Bolex. ALPA bodies were made in far smaller numbers than their German and Japanese rivals, which is why surviving examples feel unusually rare today. The brand's near-mythic status among collectors comes from that scarcity, its uncompromising machining, and the fact that it represented an almost uniquely Swiss answer to the golden age of 35mm camera making.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
Marilyn Monroe in her last formal photo shoot captured by legendary photographer Allan Grant on July 7, 1962.
In the summer of 1962, LIFE magazine sent two journalists to spend time with Marilyn Monroe—one to listen, one to look. Writer Richard Meryman conducted what would become her final interview, recorded 2 weeks prior to photographer Allan Grant arriving at her Brentwood (LA) home for what would be her last formal photo shoot and the only one at her new house. Though the sessions were done separately, they now stand as companion pieces: Meryman capturing Marilyn's voice, Grant capturing her image.
Available for the first time, a series of 14 estate stamped and authenticated prints from the Allen Grant Archive. This image is offered as archival fine art print, produced to the highest museum standards with exceptional tonal depth and detail. Each print is available in multiple sizes and editions, making it a collectible work that honors both Monroe’s enduring legacy and Grant’s masterful documentary eye.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
New COLLECTION : MARILYN MONROE - THE LOST LAST PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLAN GRANT
We are delighted to announce a stunning new collection to Modern Rocks Gallery, Marilyn Monroe : The Lost Last Photographs by Allan Grant. A beautiful collection of fourteen prints, selected from the LIFE Magazine photographers extraordinary archive, now offered for sale for the first time and available from Modern Rocks Gallery
Marilyn Monroe in her last formal photo shoot captured by legendary photographer Allan Grant on July 7, 1962.
In the summer of 1962, LIFE magazine sent two journalists to spend time with Marilyn Monroe—one to listen, one to look. Writer Richard Meryman conducted what would become her final interview, recorded 2 weeks prior to photographer Allan Grant arriving at her Brentwood (LA) home for what would be her last formal photo shoot and the only one at her new house. Though the sessions were done separately, they now stand as companion pieces: Meryman capturing Marilyn's voice, Grant capturing her image.
Available for the first time, a series of 14 estate stamped and authenticated prints from the Allen Grant Archive. This image is offered as archival fine art print, produced to the highest museum standards with exceptional tonal depth and detail. Each print is available in multiple sizes and editions, making it a collectible work that honors both Monroe’s enduring legacy and Grant’s masterful documentary eye.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
Marilyn Monroe in her last formal photo shoot captured by legendary photographer Allan Grant on July 7, 1962.
In the summer of 1962, LIFE magazine sent two journalists to spend time with Marilyn Monroe—one to listen, one to look. Writer Richard Meryman conducted what would become her final interview, recorded 2 weeks prior to photographer Allan Grant arriving at her Brentwood (LA) home for what would be her last formal photo shoot and the only one at her new house. Though the sessions were done separately, they now stand as companion pieces: Meryman capturing Marilyn's voice, Grant capturing her image.
Available for the first time, a series of 14 estate stamped and authenticated prints from the Allen Grant Archive. This image is offered as archival fine art print, produced to the highest museum standards with exceptional tonal depth and detail. Each print is available in multiple sizes and editions, making it a collectible work that honors both Monroe’s enduring legacy and Grant’s masterful documentary eye.
Framing is available for prints in this collection . Click HERE for more information on how to add framing to your print order
MILES DAVIS: Scenes from a life
As we celebrate 100 years of Miles Davis, Modern Rocks Gallery is proud to present Miles Davis "Scenes from a Life". A stunning collection showcasing Miles Davis on stage, in the recording studio, at home creating art and at the gym, with prints from celebrated photographers Don Hunstein and Glen Craig, including previously unseen Don Hunstein shots, available for the first time as fine art prints.
the pbs austin city limits poster archive
For the past twenty years, Austin PBS has commissioned a unique, screen-printed poster from the world’s most accomplished graphic artists to commemorate each musical guest’s Austin City Limits taping. Modern Rocks Gallery have been given exclusive access to the archive of original posters. In some cases there are only a few of these highly sought after works of art left. Proceeds from sales benefits Austin PBS directly.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS HERITAGE COLLECTION BY SCOTT NEWTON
To commemorate Austin City Limits 50 Years of Music, Modern Rocks Gallery Owner, Steven Walker, has curated a collection of 50 iconic prints from Scott’s extensive ACL archive, available for the first time, brought to you exclusively by Modern Rocks Gallery in conjunction with Austin PBS, KLRU-TV.
Signed limited edition print of Ray Charles with Lee Greenwood by Scott Newton from Season 9, Episode 1, 1984.
© 1983 Austin PBS
Prints from this collection are hand-signed and numbered by Scott Newton, in a true limited edition, with only 200 prints total being produced of each image, across all sizes. The prints will feature an embossed ACL stamp, and will be supplied with a certificate of authenticity, hand-signed by Steven Walker, founder owner of Modern Rocks Gallery.
Signed limited edition print by Scott Newton of the performers during the ACL special, “A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt” which aired in 1997, featuring (from left to right). Cowboy Jack Clement (Towne’s producer), Lyle Lovett, Rodney Cowell, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, John T Van Zandt (Townes son), Nancy Griffith, Steve Earle and Peter Rowan.
© 1997 Austin PBS
Prints from this collection are hand-signed and numbered by Scott Newton, in a true limited edition, with only 200 prints total being produced of each image, across all sizes. The prints will feature an embossed ACL stamp, and will be supplied with a certificate of authenticity, hand-signed by Steven Walker, founder owner of Modern Rocks Gallery.
Signed limited edition print of Dolly Parton taken during her Austin City Limits taping from Season 26, Episode 18 in 2001 by Scott Newton.
© 2001 Austin PBS
Prints from this collection are hand-signed and numbered by Scott Newton, in a true limited edition, with only 200 prints total being produced of each image, across all sizes. The prints will feature an embossed ACL stamp, and will be supplied with a certificate of authenticity, hand-signed by Steven Walker, founder owner of Modern Rocks Gallery.
Our Story
In its unique space, you’ll find signed limited edition prints from award-winning photographers such as Terry O'Neill, Norman Seeff, Masayoshi Sukita, Kevin Cummins, Brian Duffy, Alec Byrne, and Jill Furmanovsky. Modern Rocks Gallery goes beyond just art — it’s a hub for gathering and conversation around the rock and roll nostalgia that stays true to the fabric of Austin. From Bowie tributes to creative exhibitions, the gallery continues to magnetize the community around its timeless collection.
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Jimi Hendrix by Gered Mankowitz
Liam Noe Gallagher of Oasis by Jill Furmanovsky
David Bowie, Aladdin Sane (Eyes Open) by Duffy
The Rolling Stones by Gered Mankowitz
Dolly Parton by Ed Caraeff
Stevie Wonder by Michael Grecco
Pink Floyd by Andrew Whittuck
The Beatles by Robert Whitaker
Tina Turner by Brian Aris
Nirvana by Chris Cuffaro
Amy Winehouse by Jake Chessum
Willie Nelson by Scott Newton