Early, intimate photos of Bruce Springsteen come to town, right in time for The Boss

Everyone knows Bruce Springsteen is the Boss.

But that wasn’t so 50 years ago. A young Montco photographer named Phil Ceccola already sensed a big future for the skinny young guitar player from Jersey he let camp out on his couch, too on fire or too broke to notice he was wearing mismatched shoes.

Come mid-August, Springsteen will rock out for thousands of fans at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

And in a Conshohocken gallery, an exhibit of special photos — some never before displayed — will provide an intimate look into how it all began.

The work of late rock photographer Phil Ceccola will be among the highlights of “50 Years of Bruce Springsteen Music Celebration,” a free exhibition of photographs, concert posters, gold and platinum records, signed items, and other Boss memorabilia at Coll’s Custom Framing & Gallery.

The work of other photographers including Alex Lowy and Scott Weiner, as well as Mark “Weissguy” Weiss, Danny Clinch, and the late David Gahr, will also be on display. All pieces will be available for sale.

The exhibition opens Aug. 12 and continues through Sept. 2. On Aug. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., original E Street Band member and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez will appear. Springsteen’s drummer from 1968 to 1974, he played on two of the Boss’ early albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle.

And, of course, the exhibit will coincide with Springsteen’s Philadelphia performances on Aug. 16 and 18.

Ceccola died from brain cancer in 2003 at age 48. If he were still alive, his younger brother, Russ Ceccola, said Phil would be thrilled to show his photos at the same time his old friend was in town with a big gig.

“He’d be over the moon, and he would tell stories all day,” said the younger Ceccola. “He’d love it. You’d never shut him up.”

A self-taught shutterbug born in Philadelphia and raised in West Conshohocken, Phil Ceccola shot his first band at age 11 — the Temptations — at a Steel Pier concert in Atlantic City. Russ Ceccola figures he must have gotten their father to take him there.

He kept shooting as much as he could for the rest of his life, touring with Rick Springfield in his later years until cancer made him too weak.

Ceccola’s subjects included some of the biggest names in rock and roll. As a photographer at Electric Factory concerts in the 1980s, he captured the likes of Billy Joel, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, and others. In the 1970s, as a fledgling rock journalist, he earned backstage access at what was then called the Main Point in Bryn Mawr.

“I’ve got pictures of Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne,” Russ Ceccola said. “He was shooting everybody who came through that place.”

But there was one artist who also played the Main Point and left an impression on Phil Ceccola like no other, even though the rocker was still early in his career. Ceccola saw a great talent and, in time, a friend.

That was Bruce Springsteen.

“Phil knew right from the start,” his brother said. “He knew there was something special, and he made a point of taking photos of him and going to all the shows.” Ceccola would come to call those years Springsteen’s “bearded years” — scruffy whiskers, little money, but loads of passion.

Once, when Bruce was visiting Ceccola’s parents’ house, Ceccola snapped an image of the Boss as a young man, so intent on playing he didn’t seem aware he was wearing two different shoes. He also shot a young Springsteen, apple in hand, before a wall of Philly graffiti. A photo of Springsteen stretched out backstage at the Main Point was also shot by Ceccola. It is the album cover for 18 Tracks.

Ceccola drove Springsteen around town, brought him to local radio stations, and took him shopping on South Street.

“My sister told me a story that at one point, Bruce was coming to visit my brother in our house in West Conshy,” Russ Ceccola said. “She saw some car, whatever he had, a big clunky car parked on the street. He was walking up the street and asked where my brother lived. She didn’t know who he was. She wishes now she’d stopped to talk to him.”

A little while after that, Phil Ceccola got his own place in Bridgeport.

Of course, before very long Springsteen’s career really took off. His concerts earned him converts, and then came the hits and, in time, arena shows.

Ceccola’s life took a more modest turn. He started a celebrity button business, but kept his hand in photography. His negatives of Springsteen alone ran into the thousands. He found joy in his old friend’s success.

In 1998, several years before Ceccola died, Springsteen published a book, Songs, telling the stories behind a lot of his music. There were many photos, too, including ones taken by Ceccola from the old days.

The Boss sent his old friend a copy, with a message scribbled inside:

Hey, Phil…who woulda thought?! Thanks for the pictures!

Best, Bruce Springsteen

“50 Years of Bruce Springsteen Music Celebration” runs Aug. 12 to Sept. 2 at Coll’s Custom Framing & Gallery, 324 Fayette St., Conshohocken. Free. There will be a reception on Aug. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. https://collscustomframing.com/