These photographs are from a collage commissioned by Jujamcyn Theaters, the producers of August Wilson's newest play, "Seven Guitars." Jujamcyn Theaters asked Dick Waterman to create a collage of seven black guitarists' hands for a gift to be given to Wilson on the play's opening night on Broadway.

Waterman collaborated with Jujamcyn's creative director, Jack Viertel, in selecting the photographs to be featured. "I had the luxury of being able to choose from hundreds of shots of men, women, right-handed, left-handed, wooden guitars, steel-bodied guitars, electric guitars with a whole lot of variety," said Waterman.

The final collage was assembled in New York City and presented to August Wilson on Thursday, March 29th, just before the play opened on Broadway. Mr. Wilson has already won two Pulitzer Prizes for "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson," and "Seven Guitars" has just been voted "Best Play" by the New York Drama Critics' Circle.

"Seven Guitars" is the story of a Pittsburgh blues singer who goes to Chicago in 1948 to record two songs. After he returns to Pittsburgh, he is jailed for 90 days on a phony charge. When he gets out, he discovers that his record is getting airplay and he is asked to come back to Chicago to make additonal records. However, he is killed before he can go, and the play is told in flashback after his death. The song that is played to signify his hit is "Who's Loving You Tonight?"

In addition to the gift to August Wilson, five prints of each photograph were made as gifts to the members of the cast. Another four photographs were added so that a total of 55 prints were made to be distributed.

The guitarists were chosen for the way in which their hands were photographed over the instruments and had no bearing on their fame or musical styles. The "Seven Guitars" are Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, Fred McDowell, Elizabeth Cotton, Son House, BB King and Mance Lipscomb. The additonal four whose photographs were printed for the cast are Etta Baker, John Hurt, Jack Owens and Joe Louis Walker.

Says Waterman, "I had the honor of spending some time with August Wilson after the opening night ceremonies. He was very gracious and asked me if I had personally known all of the musicians. I told him that I did, and we talked at length about his love of Chicago blues from the 1950s and 1960s."

All photographs © 1996 by Dick Waterman and are not to be reprinted or redistributed without his written consent.

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