Alex Bartsch’s Vinyl Sleeve Photography Project Captures London’s Musical Past

This series reunites vintage album covers with the locations where their original photos were taken. Photographed by Alex Bartsch, the series aligns everything perfectly to create a seamless blend of past and present.

Many of these album covers were created for reggae music projects from 1967 to 1987. The covers, photographed around London, offer a brief glimpse into the city during that era.

Bartsch says of the project.

"The image on a record cover usually remains within defined borders, instantly recognisable as a record cover, but not so much as a location, approaching the scene from a wider angle and revealing the cover’s surroundings brought me, and will hopefully bring others, closer to the time and place of the original photo shoot."

"Some [of the locations] were easy to find while others took months of detective work. I cycled all over the city, from Penge in southeast London to Harlesden in the northwest. There were wild goose chases, and some unexpected finds. It's been a great adventure, and has painted an interesting map of London's reggae music heritage."

Alex Bartsch isn’t just a record collector. He’s a visual historian of London’s rich musical past. His ongoing project, London Record Covers, sees him track down the exact locations where iconic reggae, ska, soul and jazz album covers were originally photographed, sometimes decades ago. Once he finds the right spot, he returns with the original vinyl sleeve and aligns it precisely within the modern-day scene, capturing it all in a new photograph that beautifully juxtaposes past and present.

These aren’t just aesthetic compositions. Bartsch’s photographs provide a visual narrative of how London has evolved through the lens of music. From Brixton to Camden, Ladbroke Grove to Hackney, each image documents urban change, cultural memory, and the enduring power of music to define a place.

The Project’s Origins: A Personal and Urban Quest

The idea was sparked by Bartsch’s discovery that the cover for Smiley Culture’s 1984 album Cockney Translation was photographed just minutes from his flat. Intrigued, he began looking through his own record collection to see how many more he could identify and locate. He set strict criteria: only sleeves that featured street scenes in recognisable London locations, and only albums from his personal collection.

With time and determination, the project grew. Bartsch eventually photographed over 40 sleeves, including covers from artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Dennis Bovell, Roots Manuva, Aswad, and Linton Kwesi Johnson. His book Covers, published in 2017, became a cult favourite among music fans and photographers alike.

Photography with Vinyl in Hand: The Technical Challenge

Bartsch’s process is meticulous. First, he identifies the likely location from clues in the original image, signs, buildings, lampposts, or architectural quirks. He then visits the site with the original record in hand, holding it up in front of the scene to match the cover’s composition as closely as possible. He often balances the record with one hand while operating the camera with the other, carefully ensuring the angles align and the scale remains accurate.

What makes these photographs stand out is the seamless blending of the original artwork with the real environment. The records are not Photoshopped in, they are physically present, held in front of the lens, creating a tangible connection between the record and the real world it once captured.

Not Just Reggae: A Broader Musical Mapping of London

These photographs celebrate the contributions of Caribbean communities to British music and visual culture. Many of the original covers were shot cheaply and quickly, sometimes using locations close to record shops, studios, or homes. Bartsch’s rediscovery of them decades later gives these spaces a renewed cultural significance.

Bartsch’s work has received considerable attention from music and photography communities. His exhibitions have been hosted across the UK, and his work has been featured in publications like The Guardian, BBC, and Time Out. Beyond aesthetics, his photographs provoke reflection on how quickly urban spaces change and how music history is embedded in everyday streets and forgotten corners.

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