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The 1972 "Dog Show" poster (digital recreation by a Mysterious Spanish Lady, with thanks to Kim Andrews and Mæ)
Between 1972 and 1975, The Residents took part in a number of photo sessions with photographers Denise Byroads and Graeme Whifler at their Sycamore Street headquarters. The photo shoots have been described as being similar in spirit to a musical jam session, with members of the group applying face paint and wearing masks and costumes and posing with whatever items they had lying around.
The infamous cover art for The Residents' 1978 EP Duck Stab! was derived from a photograph from a 1972 Whifler session; the other photos from these sessions largely remained unreleased for many years, before being published in the early 21st century, in the 2004 art portfolio Evidence of Residents, and in reissues of Not Available, Duck Stab! and Meet The Residents from 2004 onwards.
A Byroads group photo (apparently from the first session in 1972) was pasted to a "Dog Show" Friskies promotional poster-board which had left behind by the previous tenants of the Sycamore Street building; this artwork has led this group image - and by association, the wider set of Byroads photos - to be known as the Dog Show photos.
Conflicting and contradictory attribution has been given to the images in the years since they were first published; a number of photos initially credited to Whifler have since been attributed to Byroads, and the years cited for the photos have sometimes been inconsistent between their various appearances.
History[]
According to Evidence of Residents, an art portfolio published in 2004 which contained three of these photos, they were the result of two photoshoots taking place in 1972, the first of which produced the "Dog Show" and "Old Dream" photos, and the second of which produced the "Duck Stab" image; the Not Available reissue from that same year featured five additional photos supposedly from 1974 rehearsal sessions; notably, 'The Catbird' costume photographed during these rehearsals is also seen in the "Dog Show" image, with identical makeup.
The 2005 Duck Stab re-issue contained 9 images of these sessions, with notes dating them to the same 1972 Graeme Whifler session. These photos include the Duck Stab photo, Dog Show, Old Dream as well as several photos featuring Uncle Remus, The Catbird, Porcupine and Nobody; all from the Not Available cast. Whifler later publicly stated on a Facebook post that they're "not [his] work," and, in many cases, these photos have since been credited to Denise Byroads.
Additionally, when these photos have been posted to The Residents' Instagram, they have been dated anywhere between 1972 and 1975, often contradicting the dates given by these 2004-2005 statements.
Aside from photos featuring the figure from the Duck Stab image, or the four photos included in the 2004 Not Available re-issue, photos from these sessions have been used relatively interchangeably in association with either Duck Stab or Meet The Residents; although the 2022 art book, A Sight For Sore Eyes, features all these photos, (aside from those found on the same film as the Duck Stab photo), in the Not Available segment of the book.
Photos[]
Categorising[]
The photos can be categorised by the costumes worn by The Residents and when they appear together, resulting in 3 different sets of photos, from hereon referred to as "Set 1" (Dog Show) "Set 2" and "Set 3" (Duck Stab).
Set One: Dog Show (1972-1974?)[]
Costumes
- The Catbird
- Nobody (in button shirt and bowtie)
- White Man
- Flower Man
Dog Show (1972-3)[]
This is a group shot of all four Residents first published as a rare 1973 art print titled "Dog Show." According to the 2004 "Evidence of Residents" portfolio, this image is of The Residents' first official photo session from 1972. The image features a white-faced Resident, "Nobody," a flower pot hatted Resident, and "The Catbird." The photo has been associated with Meet The Residents (featured in the 2018 pREServed edition), Duck Stab (in the 2005 hardcover edition) and Not Available (featured in the associated chapter of A Sight For Sore Eyes.)
The 2005 Duck Stab re-issue credits this photo to Graeme Whifler, but their Instagram credits it to Denis Byroads.
The Catbird (1973-4)[]
This is a photo of a Resident dressed as 'The Catbird' supposedly from the 1974 Not Available rehearsals, and has been published in all editions of Not Available since 2004. An identical Catbird costume and makeup style also appears in the 1973 Dog Show poster. The photo was initially credited to Graeme Whifler in the Not Available 2004 re-issue, and then later Denyse Byroads on The Residents' instagram. A Sight For Sore Eyes also credits Byroads.
"Nobody, The Flower Pot Man and wheelchair" (1972-1974)[]
This image, first published in Duck Stab 2005, features Nobody and the Flower Pot Man both in outfits seen in the Dog Show promo photo. Nobody is pushing the Flower Pot Man in a wheel chair. The hardback credits it to Graeme Whifler and dates it to 1972. No contradictory information to this has been given; although the presence of Nobody would imply this is also from the 1974 Not Available rehearsals.
"Nobody and the Flower Pot Man's Egyptian Dance" (1972-1974)[]
This image, first published in the Duck Stab 2005 CD, showcases Nobody and The Flower Pot Man dancing in a spotlight. It was also included in the 2018 Duck Stab pREServed booklet. Nobody and The Flower Pot Man appear in the same costumes as in the Dog Show and the Wheel Chair images. The hardback credits it to Graeme Whifler and dates it to 1972, although the presence of Nobody would imply this is also from the 1974 Not Available rehearsals.
"Nobody and The White Man" (1972-4)[]
This photo, depicting Nobody (in his button shirt and bowtie) and the White Man from Dog Show was first published in the 2005 Duck Stab CD, where it was dated to 1972 and credited to Graeme Whifler. In 2022, a cropped version of the image was notably used in the Sight For Sore Eyes art book, where the name 'Nobody' originates, supposedly a character intended for then removed from Not Available during the rehearsal period, implying the photo is from 1974. This image is featured on the picture disc for "Nobody's Nos." A Sight For Sore Eyes credits Denise Byroads as the photographer of this image.
Set Two (1972-1975)[]
Costumes
- Luchador
- The Porcupine
- Uncle Remus
- Nobody
The Porcupine / A Curious Photo (1972-4)[]
First published as the cover to Buy Or Die #3 in February of 1978, this photo has been used to represent the Not Available character Porcupine. It was also used as the cover to the ERA B474 album. The photo was dated to 1974 and credited to Graeme Whifler in 2004-2011 re-issues of Not Available, but The Residents' instagram dates it to 1972, and credits it to Denise Byroads. A Sight For Sore Eyes also credits Byroads.
Uncle Remus (1974)[]
Photo of a Resident nude as 'Uncle Remus,' a character from Not Available. The photo was first published in the 2004 re-issue of Not Available, the liner notes of which describe it as a photo from the 1974 Not Available rehearsals. The photo was initially credited to Graeme Whifler, but it has more recently been credited to Denyse Byroads in A Sight For Sore Eyes.
"Commercial" (1972-3)[]
This image, first published in the 2008 Duck Stab hardback, features Uncle Remus and The Luchador posing with N. Senada's Saxophone. The Hardback credits it to Graeme Whifler and dates it to 1972, but The Residents' instagram credits the photo to Denise Byroads and dates it to 1973.
"Nobody, Uncle Remus and two others" (1972)[]
First appearing in the 2008 Duck Stab CD reissue, which dates it to 1972 and credits Graeme Whifler, this image is also featured in the intro for the Randyland web series, where the figure dressed as Nobody is identified as Randy Rose. The title is conjecture by The Mysterious Spanish Ladies; the title of this photo is unknown. Uncle Remus' head appears to be identical to the solo photo of him, implying one is pasted from the other.
"Luchador, Nobody, Porcupine and Remus" (1972)[]
This group shot of all four Residents features the Luchador, a variations on Nobody and Porcupine and Uncle Remus. The image was first published in the Duck Stab 2008 CD where it was dated to 1972 and credited to Graeme Whifler. It was then again used for the Duck Stab pREServed booklet, and then featured in the Not Available chapter of A Sight For Sore Eyes, credited to Graeme Whifler.
"Luchador" (1972-5)[]
First published in the 2008 Duck Stab CD, this image depicts a Resident in a luchador mask with pigtails between two outstretched hands. The title is conjecture by The Mysterious Spanish Ladies; the title of this photo is unknown. Although the 2008 CD dates it to 1972 and credits it to Graeme Whifler, The Residents' instagram instead dates it to 1975. The Instagram, like the 2008 CD, describes as an outtake from the Duck Stab photo shoot, which otherwise has been stated as taking place in 1972.
Set Three (1972-1974)[]
Duck Stab! (1972)[]
The most iconic photo from the sessions, the "Duck Stab!" photo was taken in 1972 by Graeme Whifler in what has been described as The Residents' second 'official' photoshoot, which birthed 34 different photos of the group. This image was published in February of 1978.
Duck Stab Alt." (1972)[]
Alternative version of the Duck Stab image which features one Resident stabbing another as two others watch. An edited version of the image was published on the Randy Rose Tumblr blog in 2012, where the attacker was identified as Randy Rose and the victim was identified as Chuck. The 2022 art book A Sight For Sore Eyes published the unedited image and credited it to Graeme Whifler.
"Duck Stab Alt. 2" (1972)[]
An alternative version of the Duck Stab image appearing in A Sight For Sore Eyes, taken by Graeme Whifler.
Resident Wearing Strange Costume (1974)[]
This photo was posted to The Residents' instagram in December of 2021, and was credited to Denise Byroads and dated to 1974. The sunglasses are the same as seen in the 'United' images seen in the additional photos section.
Additional photos[]
These were published in A Sight For Sore Eyes.
Misc.[]
These images are hard to visually connect to the other photos due to a lack of recurring costumes.
Old Dream (1972)[]
This image was first published in the Evidence of Residents portfolio in 2004, where it's said to be from The Residents' first official photo shoot. It was then featured in the 2008 Duck Stab re-issue, where it was credited to the same sessions as the Duck Stab photo; which Evidence of Residents said was their second photo shoot.
The Enigmatic Foe (1972-4)[]
The Singing Resident dressed as The Enigmatic Foe during the 1974 Not Available rehearsals. Published in all editions of Not Available. The photo was published to the Randy Rose tumblr blog in 2013 where he confirmed it was him in the photo - and speculated that it was Charles Bobuck's feet in the foreground. Randy conflates this photo with The Porcupine image in his description, misremembering that it was used as a Ralph Records Catalogue cover. The 2004-2011 Not Available re-issues credit the photo to Graeme Whifler, but on Instagram the image is credited to Denyse Byroads and dated to their 1972 "first ever photo session." The Byroads credit is repeated in A Sight For Sore Eyes.
Edweena (1974)[]
Photo of the centre focus of the Not Available album, Edweena (perhaps Sally Lewis who portrayed Edweena on the album) published in the 2004 edition of Not Available, and all editions since. Initially credited to Graeme Whifler, but then to Denyse Byroads in A Sight For Sore Eyes.
Nude Reclining on Pin Ball Machine (1972)[]
First published in the Duck Stab 2008 CD, where it was dated to 1972 and credited to Graeme Whifler. The Residents' instagram credits this photo to Denise Byroads.