Ramones

Ramones: Punk Rock in New York, 1975–1980

This collection brings together a curated selection of rare photographs documenting the Ramones at the moment punk rock emerged from New York’s underground and reshaped popular music.

From early performances at CBGB to street portraits and candid backstage moments, these images trace the band’s formative years and the raw visual language that came to define punk culture worldwide.

Together, the works in this collection offer a direct and unfiltered record of the Ramones’ presence in New York during the mid to late 1970s, capturing both the intensity of their music and the environment that shaped their legacy.

Joey Ramone, St. Marks Place, 1981, photographed by Godlis.

Joey Ramone, St. Marks Place, 1981TMPG·7190

Godlis From $1,200

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Joey Ramone, Coney Island, 1977, photographed by Roberta Bayley.

Joey Ramone with Surfboard, Coney Island, New York City, 1977TMPG·7718

Roberta Bayley From $1,400

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Joey Ramone with Debbie Harry, New York City, 1977TMPG·4710

Chris Stein 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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Dee Dee and Joey Ramone, Ramones, Date Unknown. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.

Dee Dee and Joey Ramone, Ramones, Date UnknownTMPG·8454

Ebet Roberts From $1,000

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Joey Ramone, New York City, 1977, photographed by Bobby Grossman.

Joey Ramone, New York City, 1977TMPG·8950

Bobby Grossman From $1,500

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Joey Ramone, CBGB, 1977, photographed by Godlis.

Joey Ramone, CBGB, 1977TMPG·1382

Godlis From $1,200

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Joey Ramone at the site of the original Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, May 19, 1977, photographed by Ian Dickson.

Joey Ramone at the Original Cavern Club Site, Liverpool, England, 1977TMPG·1158

Ian Dickson From $1,300

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Joey Ramone, Ramones, the Palladium, 1979. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.

Joey Ramone, Ramones, the Palladium, 1979TMPG·9798

Ebet Roberts From $1,000

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Roberta Bayley and the Birth of Punk

In early 1976, photographer Roberta Bayley was asked to photograph an unknown band from Queens for what would become one of the most influential debut albums in rock history. The resulting image — four figures standing against a brick wall on East 2nd Street in Manhattan — became one of the defining photographs of punk rock.

Released in April 1976, Ramones stripped rock and roll down to its essentials: short songs, loud guitars, and an attitude that rejected the excesses of mainstream rock. Critics initially struggled to understand what they were hearing, but the visual identity created by Bayley proved just as influential as the music itself.

Writing in August 1976, Rolling Stone famously declared: "The Ramones are punks and will beat you up." The statement captured both the confusion and excitement surrounding a band that was about to transform popular culture.

Today, Bayley's photographs of the original album cover session are regarded as foundational documents of punk's birth.

CBGB and New York

CBGB was more than a music venue. It was the laboratory where a new cultural movement emerged. Between 1974 and 1978, the Ramones shared the stage with Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, Richard Hell and countless other artists who would redefine New York's downtown scene.

These photographs document the Bowery before it became a destination, capturing the clubs, streets, backstage rooms, and late-night encounters that shaped the visual mythology of punk.

Far from the commercial music industry, the Ramones became symbols of a city in decline but overflowing with creative energy.