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PUNK The Definitive Photography Archive

Museum-quality photographs documenting the birth of punk, made by the photographers who were inside it. From CBGB and Max's Kansas City in New York to the Roxy and the London underground, the archive brings together vintage prints, contact sheets, Polaroids and rare exhibition works.

The photographers represented here were not covering a scene from outside. Roberta Bayley worked the door at CBGB and shot for Punk magazine. Godlis photographed the Bowery at night for years. Bob Gruen, Ebet Roberts, Allan Tannenbaum, Bobby Grossman, Marcia Resnick, Chris Stein and Michael Grecco each worked from within the same circle in New York, while Ian Dickson and Sheila Rock documented the parallel movement in Britain.

What survives in these photographs is the texture of the moment: small rooms, cheap light, and musicians who had not yet become famous. Each work is produced from the original negative or colour transparency, hand-signed by the photographer or the estate, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

441 works
Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, New York City, 1974, photographed by Allan Tannenbaum.
Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, New York City, 1974TMPG·1766
Allan Tannenbaum From $1,500
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Iggy Pop, London, 1972, photographed by Mick Rock.
Iggy Pop Performing with Microphone, London, 1972TMPG·5174
Mick Rock From $1,500
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New York Dolls, Los Angeles, CA, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
New York Dolls, Los Angeles, CA, 1974TMPG·9094
Bob Gruen From $1,200
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Lou Reed, London, 1975, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Lou Reed, London, UK, 1975TMPG·0774
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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Iggy Pop, La Scala London, 1972, photographed by Mick Rock.
Iggy Pop, La Scala London, 1972TMPG·8934
Mick Rock From $1,500
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Johnny Thunders reclining shirtless, New York City, photographed by Marcia Resnick.
Johnny Thunders Reclining, Shirtless, New York CityTMPG·7142
Marcia Resnick $4,500
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New York Dolls, New York City, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
New York Dolls, New York City, 1975TMPG·2934
Bob Gruen From $1,200
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Lou Reed, London, 1975, photographed by Mick Rock.
Lou Reed, London, 1975TMPG·0406
Mick Rock From $1,500
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Patti Smith Group and John Cale, The Bottom Line, New York City, 1975, photographed by Allan Tannenbaum.
Patti Smith Group and John Cale, The Bottom Line, New York City, 1975TMPG·7014
Allan Tannenbaum From $1,500
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Iggy Pop Raw Power, Cover, London, 1972, photographed by Mick Rock.
Iggy Pop Raw Power, Cover, London, 1972TMPG·9478
Mick Rock From $1,500
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Punks outside CBGB, New York City, 1977, photographed by Allan Tannenbaum.

NEW YORK — THE BIRTH OF PUNK

CBGB, downtown Manhattan and the scene that changed everything
By the mid-1970s, punk had found its center in downtown New York. Around CBGB, Max’s Kansas City and a small network of clubs, lofts and apartments, a generation of artists was creating a new language — direct, independent and deliberately outside the conventions of the music industry.

The Ramones reduced rock and roll to its essential elements. Patti Smith brought poetry and performance into the club. Television, Richard Hell, Blondie, Talking Heads, the Dead Boys and Johnny Thunders each pushed the scene in different directions, while photographers working from inside this community created the images through which much of it is remembered today.

These photographs document more than performances and personalities. They record the clubs, streets, relationships and fleeting encounters of a downtown culture before it became an international movement.
Patti Smith with one arm raised toward the stage light, photographed by Charlyn Zlotnik, 1977.
Patti Smith, Raised Arm, 1977TMPG·3334
Charlyn Zlotnik From $1,000
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Joey Ramone, Ramones, Date Unknown. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Joey Ramone, Ramones, Date UnknownTMPG·0150
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Richard Hell at Max's Kansas City, New York City, 1977, photographed by Chris Stein.
Richard Hell at Max's Kansas City, New York City, 1977TMPG·9462
Chris Stein From $1,000
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Ramones. CBGB, NYC, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Ramones, CBGB, New York City, 1975TMPG·9958
Bob Gruen From $1,200
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Debbie Harry, Blondie, New York City, 1978, photographed by Allan Tannenbaum.
Debbie Harry, Blondie, New York City, 1978TMPG·1622
Allan Tannenbaum From $1,500
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The Ramones performing at CBGB, New York City, 1976. Original Cibachrome print by Roberta Bayley, printed circa 1990.
Ramones Performing at CBGB, New York City, 1976TMPG·7942
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
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Patti Smith, New York City, 1978. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Patti Smith, New York City, 1978TMPG·5158
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Iggy Pop by the dressing room door, New York City, 1977, photographed by Chris Stein.
Iggy Pop by the Dressing Room Door, New York City, 1977TMPG·4182
Chris Stein From $1,000
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54 of 441 works