Jackson - The 1960s were loaded with protests for peace, clouds of marijuana smoke, hugs from loving hippies and, of course, lots of loud, groovy tunes for swaying hips.
And in the midst of this tie-dyed, bell-bottomed chaos was Linda McCartney, armed and loaded with her favorite weapon - a camera.
"She was the first photographer for Rolling Stone," said Heather Price, spokeswoman for the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson. "She took pictures of The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Who, Bob Dylan, B.B. King and basically all of the rock stars that you could think of in the scene in '66 and '67."
The Ella Sharp Museum is displaying the works of McCartney in its exhibit, "Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era."
The selection of 50 photographs includes pictures of The Doors' first New York performance, The Who's rehearsals, the launch of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album and many more works from the photographer often referred to as "a fly on the wall," Price said.
"It's wonderful because she blended in with the background," Price said. "And these are not publicity photos but very intimate and in the scene."
And everyone, ranging from teenagers who appreciate classic rock to the generation that lived during these bands' rise to fame, are enjoying the exhibit, Price said.
"It's been lots of people who weren't born at the time who are interested in music or photography and want to get a glimpse of the era," Price said. "Obviously a big part of our audience are folks that have lived through the era and want to reminisce."
Pop-culture exhibits are starting to draw attention far and wide, Price said.
"It used to be just fine art (in museums)," Price said. "Popular culture is certainly a viable form of art and it is a wonderful addition that more museums are looking at."
And students are catching on to the wave of fresh ideas and contemporary pieces in museums.
"There needs to be more photography in museums," Pierce Reynolds, a music education freshman, said. "The specific movement captured by the camera is immensely significant in the shaping of culture."
Mark Whitmore, an English senior and Beyond the Wall employee, agrees there should be more photography in museums.
"Sometimes the most beautiful things don't come from a paintbrush," Whitmore said. "Popular culture is all around and you're influenced by what you see. So by what you see, you'll want to create something from that."
And McCartney produced wonderful art from the experiences she found herself in, Price said.
"Over the years, she came under the fire from people who said she was just a groupie," Price said. "That's just not true. No one else got these pictures and she had it inside of her to do this. She took them because she loved to take them."
The Ella Sharp Museum will run "Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era" through Sept. 14.
