KEN Dodd is known for his all night staying power (missus) – at least on the stage – but now he's the star of a show lasting four months.
And you can see his Dickie Mint in a whole new light when an exhibition of images of the comedy legend open at the Museum of Liverpool.
What makes them so special? Well apart from the fact that Doddy always takes an interesting snap – this show is composed entirely of pictures from the lens of Stephen Shakeshaft.
Shakey was, for years, the award-winning picture editor at the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo.
Luckily the only thing that was “shakey” was his nickname and for 40 years a very fine job he made of holding a camera up to the face of Merseyside.
Shakeshaft arrived there in 1962 and one of his earliest assignments was to photograph Ken Dodd. A friendship blossomed between the pair, and a bond of mutual respect and trust has allowed Stephen to become an intimate observer of Ken Dodd’s career.
By Jove! It’s Ken Dodd! Photographs by Stephen Shakeshaft will open on 8 November 2013 until 21 April 2014, capturing the man behind the ‘Squire of Knotty Ash’
Curator Paul Gallagher said: “Having seen the honesty and warmth captured in his shots of Ken, it’s quite clear they have developed a particularly special relationship, that has enabled Stephen to portray a rarely-seen side of Ken Dodd.
“As a curator, it’s been a gift to have so many images to work with. The only difficult part has been choosing which photographs could make it into the exhibition, as sadly we don’t have space to display the hundreds that Stephen has of Ken.”
Shakey said: “This exhibition is not just about how people see Ken Dodd as a comedian but what he is like when he’s preparing for a show and what he’s like on stage from a more intimate perspective in the wings.”
