Lecture To Accompany Guitar Exhibition Announced

What is being described by the Museum as a once in a lifetime lecture is being given by Ted Polhemus and Matthew Hill, who bring different and complementary perspectives to bear on the rise of the electric guitar in popular culture. “Admission is free, and there are only a hundred places at the lecture, so early booking is recommended,” Aoife Demel of the National Museum told Hot Press. Interested parties should contact (01) 648 6453 to reserve seats.

The lecture takes place at the Palatine Room, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin 7 on Thursday 11th January 2007, kicking off at 7pm. The exhibition, entitled “Rockchic: The Life and Times of the Electric Guitar 1931 – 2006”, runs at the National Museum until January 21st and admission is also free. Hot Press was heavily involved in the exhibition, and Hot Press editor Niall Stokes contributed a lengthy piece on the guitar in Irish rock to the exhibition catalogue.

*Ted Polhemus is among the world’s foremost authorities on the history of street style and one of the principle pioneers of the study of style, fashion, design and brands from anthropological, sociological and semiotic perspectives. He has written and lectured extensively on these subjects and was an advisor on the ROCKCHIC exhibition. “Ted’s talk at the Museum will focus on the social and cultural context of the electric guitar and its influence on modern culture over the last 75 years,” a spokesperson told Hot Press.

*Matthew Hill, is an internationally renowned guitar expert and historian and is currently researching the development of the early electric guitar at the University of Edinburgh. His lecture “Frying Pans and Horseshoes: The Rise of the Electric Guitar, 1890-1940” will examine the origins and early development of the electric guitar. Matthew Hill was also an advisor on the ROCKCHIC exhibition.