Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon [Hardcover]

May Pang (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 031237741X | ISBN-13: 978-0312377410 | Publication Date: March 4, 2008 | Edition: First Edition

“There were times I was a bit reticent in taking out my camera, like when some ‘old friends’ stopped by to hang out. I didn’t want to intrude on these moments, but John insisted.  He felt that I captured him in ways that no one else did because of his comfort level with me…For years, only my closest friends got to see these photos—which were literally tucked away in a shoebox in my closet.  They were surprised that these images did not convey the John that was portrayed in the press during our time together.  In fact, they saw a side of John seldom seen.”—From INSTAMATIC KARMA

John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they’re collected for the first time.  With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon.  The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they’re the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang’s photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.

The photographs in INSTAMATIC KARMA are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots.  Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon’s life.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lennon was famously requested by wife Yoko Ono to have an affair with the couple’s personal assistant, May Pang, while on sabbatical from the marriage. Apparently, Pang had a camera, but the biggest wonder is that no book of her photos appeared until now. The pictures show Lennon at a time of estrangement and personal excess (drink and drugs). The latter may be inferred from the cheery shot of Lennon with surprisingly fresh-faced Bobby Keys, who played the sax lead on the hit “Tequila” as a teen and became Keith Richards’ dedicated imbibing partner. Other photos touch on underappreciated facets of Lennon’s life: he and son Julian, then about 10, cavort in the water; Julian dresses up in John’s clothes—all very homey, as are shots of Lennon and Pang exuding domestic bliss. Not out to foment scandal, Pang comments about Lennon’s recording activities and personal concerns of the time very gently. Great for fans and desirable if not essential for biographical reference. And finally, how can libraries go wrong acquiring anything about any Beatle? --Mike Tribby

About the Author

MAY PANG worked for ABKCO, the Beatles’ management company, in the early 1970’s, and from there was hired as John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s personal assistant.  After her relationship with Lennon ended, Pang worked for Island Records and United Artists. In addition to photography, she designs a line of feng shui jewelry and furniture. She lives in New York with her two children.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031237741X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312377410
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( L ) > Lennon, John
  • #98 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture > Beatles

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Pics. Lacking text., March 6, 2008

By 

Dirk Crockett (OKC, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon (Hardcover)

Four stars for a small collection of mostly good, previously unseen photographs. But I was a little disappointed in the sparse information accompanying the pics. Overall, a quick read and a nice collection of snapshots. Speaking as a huge Lennon fan, a must-have.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MAY PANG, April 2, 2008

By 

Possum-Bread (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon (Hardcover)

Although I hoped "Instamatic Karma" gave us more details about the romance of John Lennon and May Pang, I was not disappointed in buying May's new book. This hard cover book was tastefully created and contains 157 photographs in color and black and white that I had never seen before. These are not glamour shots or publicity photos. These are real, candid photos worthy of any John Lennon fans' collection. The photos come with a well-written narration by May.

"Instamatic Karma" has plenty of photos of John and May showing there was a real relationship between the two. There are many nice photos of Julian during visits with his father, swimming, going to Disneyland, and general clowning around. Cynthia and Julian Lennon added an endnote to the book expressing thanks to May for her kindness and friendship to them, which was touching.

Since there is controversy about the common misconception that the years 1973 and 1974 were nothing more than a "Lost Weekend" for John, it was very satisfying to see photographic proof not only of the relationship, but that Lennon was happy, social and artistic during those years. There are photos of John with friends like Paul and Linda McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voormann and Mal Evans who spent time with John during this productive and commercially successful period. And there are some great photos from the recording sessions of "Walls and Bridges."

I highly recommend this book for Lennon fans. It's a beautiful book at a reasonable price. And you can still get a copy of the First Edition!

Side note: If you want the blow by blow description of John and May's life during this period, with all the details included, check out "Loving John" Loving John or "The Lost Weekend" John Lennon: The Lost Weekend both written by May Pang.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Leaves You Wanting More, November 2, 2008

By 

Barbara Badham "book woman" (petaluma, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon (Hardcover)

It is hard to pick up a book about John Lennon these days without coming across the words "icon" or "iconic." So for die-hard Lennon fans, this book does not disappoint. The book consists of 138 pages of text and photos, chronicling was has become known as his "lost weekend" with May Pang--the employee designated by Yoko Ono to "date" John when they were on the outs. But this weekend was not a weekend at all, but an 18-month relationship that quickly became a love affair from 1973 to 1975. May was the yin to Yoko's yang (forgive the alliteration), and she created a safe harbor for him to escape his high-profile and sometimes destructive lifestyle and to reconnect with his son Julian and old friends. John and May took informal snaps of each other and of those in their world during this period, both in color & black and white, most taken with either a Polaroid or Instamatic camera. Unfortunately some of the shots, quite frankly, are a bit substandard to publish. They are the kind that we all take of our significant others without much regard to setting or composition or even focus, and then we throw them in a shoebox just as May did and forget about them. These only got into print because John was who he was. But there are others in this collection, many never seen before, that help to burnish or enlarge his image. He could be youthfully handsome or playful or cynical or contemplative, and those shots act as a Rorschach for those of us still wanting to understand who the "real" John Lennon was. He was comfortable enough with May to let his unguarded side show, and for that we should all be grateful for this visual history. A very touching element was the tribute from Cynthia and Julian Lennon on the book's back cover, lauding May for her openness and compassion towards them for which they say they will always be "her greatest champions." There was both a public Lennon and a private one, and this book is an interesting insider's peek at the latter.