Patti Smith

For the Patti Smith fan who wants to linger a little longer behind the scenes. This photography book brings together Frank Stefanko’s portraits and personal memories of his friendship and artistic collaboration with Smith, tracing the years when she was finding her voice.

It begins with their first meeting at Glassboro State College in rural South Jersey, where Smith walked in wearing a white leather coat and made an impression Stefanko never forgot. His story follows her from the Chelsea Hotel to spoken-word performances at the St. Mark’s Poetry Project, the release of Horses, and beyond.

Spanning the mid-1960s through the late 1970s, the photographs offer a close look at an artist coming into her own while a new world of music and art was taking shape. Many of these portraits were published for the first time in this collection, alongside memorabilia from Smith’s own archives.

Inside the book

• Photographs and firsthand recollections by Frank Stefanko
• Portraits reproduced in high-quality quadratone
• Memorabilia from Patti Smith’s personal collection
• An opening poem by Patti Smith
• An introduction by her longtime guitarist, Lenny Kaye
• An afterword by editor Chris Murray

Settle in with a favorite record and spend some time with the pages. It’s a thoughtful pick for anyone who loves Patti Smith, portrait photography, or the stories behind the music.