It’s been over 60 years since the release of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the second album from a certain future Nobel Prize winner. The cover art, featuring Dylan and Suze Rotolo walking down New York City’s Jones Street, is one of the emblematic images of Dylan; it’s been referenced in films you’d expect (the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown) and ones you might not (Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky). And it turns out that stretch of Jones Street can still command plenty of attention.
In 2003, writer John Ortved moved to Jones Street and, as he phrased it in an article for Curbed, has “been watching people recreate this moment” in the years since then. Ortved’s description of people — mostly tourists — seeking to re-enact the image of Dylan and Rotolo is both detailed and vivid, and features a cameo from the owner of the nearby record store Record Runner, who will occasionally step in if the couple doesn’t have someone on hand to photograph them.
Ortved makes a convincing case that the Dylan enthusiasts posing for photos are relatively unobtrusive; he compares them favorably to the Sex and the City fans whose quest to pose near Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment can be disruptive. And he’s also noted that he’s advised some people on the best approach for their photos.
A New Levi’s Collection Evokes Bob Dylan’s 1960s Style
The new collection ties in with the film “A Complete Unknown”Bob Dylan aficionados aren’t the only music fans working to re-create their favorite album covers. Long-running indie label Dischord Records warned people against visiting the historical “Dischord House,” which has featured in a number of classic punk images. During the pandemic, home re-enactments of different album cover art became a popular pastime, with the residents of one London senior care facility doing particularly notable work.
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