The Photographs of Allan Tannenbaum
John and Yoko: A New York Love Story is an intimate look at the final weeks in the life of music icon, John Lennon. This exhibition of 35 photographs from taken by Allan Tannenbaum from the Govinda Gallery documents an important time in John Lennon’s life in New York City with his muse and wife, the artist Yoko Ono. It includes candid shots of an optimistic Lennon shortly before the release of Double Fantasy, unaware that it will be his final album.

Photographer Allan Tannenbaum, an artist and musician himself, had long loved rock and roll and the vibrant creative life of downtown New York. By the time he entered John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s milieu, they had been living in New York City for several years. The couple were at a great point in their lives together, having settled into their home at the Dakota and having celebrated the birth of their son Sean. From Ono’s first visit to Tannenbaum’s studio in Tribeca to the walks in Central Park, Tannenbaum’s photographs are a rare documentation of that magical time in a special place. His skill and sensitivity as a photographer and the warm relationship he established with his subjects are apparent in the images gathered for this exhibition.

Also depicted in the exhibition are images of Lennon and Ono making an affectionate video for the Double Fantasy album, allowing us to see into some of their tender and private moments and demonstrating their love for each other. Three weeks after the release of Double Fantasy in 1980, John Lennon passed away. The album went on to win Album of the Year at the 1981 Grammy Awards.

Tannenbaum continued to photograph Yoko Ono after Lennon’s premature passing, along with some of the vigils and memorials that were held throughout New York City in Lennon’s honor. These photographs are also included in the exhibition, which is both a celebration of and a tribute to a great artist and an everlasting love affair.

Exhibition developed and distributed by Exhibits Development Group in collaboration with Govinda Gallery. Images ©Allan Tannenbaum/Courtesy Govinda Gallery