Museum is also offering free admission on MLK Jr. Day

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is opening a new photography exhibit this month, to honor Black History Month and the African-American influence on rock and roll. The Sepia Magazine Photo Archive - 1848-1983: 35 Years of the African-American Experience in Music will open January 19, 2009 at the museums Ahmet M. Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall's Circular Gallery. The exhibit opens on Martin Luther King, Jr. day, a free admission day at the museum.

The Sepia photography exhibit includes more than 40 images that were originally featured in the magazine during its 35 year span of publication. Some of these images have not been seen since their original printing, and include African-American musical figures that shaped black culture and the world. The exhibit will run through April 12, 2009.

Photos included in the exhibit include several Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: James Brown, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, Bob Marley, and Jackie Wilson. Other influential artists including The Sugarhill Gang, Dizzy Gillspie, Erroll Garner, and others are also included.