In pictures: Isle of Wight 1970 photos and memories

The Moody Blues' Clint Warwick at the Isle of Wight festival 1970

Rarely seen photos from the iconic 1970 Isle of Wight festival have gone on display at a museum on the island. An estimated 600,000 people gathered to watch acts such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell. Photographer Charles Everest, a former BBC cameraman, kept the images under wraps for 40 years as they were "initially intended for my family as a personal record".

Everest, now 85, befriended Hendrix, for whom the festival was to be his last performance in England. "He told me his antics on stage weren't really him," the photographer said. The pair met up later for some portrait shots, which are believed to be among the last photos of the performer to be taken in the UK as he died two weeks afterwards.

"Jim Morrison was a bit stand-offish with many people," says Everest, "and wanted privacy." He adds: "He was almost a reluctant performer, I thought." But Morrison was "very co-operative" when asked to raise light levels during their preferred dark stage set-up.

"Here is Miles Davis relaxing off-stage," says Everest. "When asked on-stage what the piece of music he was playing was called, he replied 'call it anything'. The title stuck and to this day it became the unofficial title of that set at the festival".

The Isle of Wight festival wasn't the greatest moment for Joni Mitchell, the photographer said. "Her stage appearance was initially repeatedly interrupted by protesters, which finally reduced her to tears."

"Playing at the Isle of Wight was no mean feat for Sly [of Sly and the Family Stone] as he had missed almost a third of his public appearances that year," says Everest. "He was allegedly heavily into drugs, and reportedly becoming suspicious of his band members".

Joan Baez was "so natural", says Everest, who now lives in Sheffield. "She seemed to be a genuine and open person who could establish a rapport with all, from the eager press at the outdoor press conference to the massed audience of the festival."

Everest captured 35-year-old Leonard Cohen on stage. He had been woken up at 2am from a nap in his trailer and brought on stage, along with his band, to perform. The exhibition is on at the Dimbola Museum & Galleries in Freshwater Bay.