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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
Joe Strummer, London, 1977, photographed by Sheila Rock.
Joe Strummer, London, 1977TMPG·8054
Sheila Rock From $1,000
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Sex Pistols, 1977, photographed by Richard Aaron.
Sex Pistols, 1977TMPG·9814
Richard Aaron From $850
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Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious Europe 1977 photograph by Bob Gruen
Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, Europe, 1977TMPG·2774
Bob Gruen From $1,500
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Joe Strummer, Times Square, 1980, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Joe Strummer, Times Square, New York City, 1980TMPG·8886
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
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The Clash. Boston, 1979, photographed by Bob Gruen.
The Clash, Boston, 1979TMPG·2198
Bob Gruen From $1,500
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Sid Vicious. Taliesyn Ballroom, Memphis, TN. January 6, 1978, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Sid Vicious, Taliesyn Ballroom, Memphis, TN, 1978TMPG·5190
Bob Gruen From $1,200
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Iggy Pop, 1977, photographed by Mick Rock.
Iggy Pop, 1977TMPG·5638
Mick Rock From $1,500
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Close-up of Johnny Ramone performing in Liverpool, UK, 1978, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Johnny Ramone Close-Up, Liverpool, UK, 1978TMPG·5910
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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Johnny Rotten performing, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Johnny Rotten, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980, PerformingTMPG·0838
Michael Grecco From $1,500
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Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Willie Nelson, Illinois, 1985. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Willie Nelson, Illinois, 1985TMPG·4598
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Andy Warhol, Walter Stedding, and Lou Reed, 1979. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Andy Warhol, Walter Stedding, and Lou Reed, 1979TMPG·5782
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Joey Ramone performing live in Liverpool, UK, 1978, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Joey Ramone Performing Live, Liverpool, UK, 1978TMPG·6678
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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The Ramones at the site of the original Cavern Club, Liverpool, UK, 1977, photographed by Ian Dickson.
The Ramones, Cavern Club Site, Liverpool, 1977TMPG·8646
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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Joe Strummer, New York City, 1981, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Joe Strummer, New York City, 1981TMPG·5286
Bob Gruen From $1,500
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John Lydon by the glass block wall, Chelsea, 1980, photographed by Sheila Rock.
John Lydon by the Glass Block Wall, Chelsea, 1980TMPG·8182
Sheila Rock From $1,000
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Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1980. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1980TMPG·6246
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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The Clash performing at the Palladium in New York, photographed by Charlyn Zlotnik, 1979.
The Clash, The Palladium, New York, 1979TMPG·7574
Charlyn Zlotnik From $1,000
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Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, 1978. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, 1978TMPG·6134
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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162 of 441 works