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Ramones

Ramones — Photographs, 1975 to 1984

This collection brings together photographs of the Ramones made from the band's first year at CBGB through to the mid 1980s, by the photographers who documented punk in New York as it happened.

Bob Gruen photographed the band in Forest Hills in 1975, in the subway, and on stage at CBGB before the first album was recorded. Roberta Bayley photographed the session that produced the cover of Ramones in 1976, and the collection includes her contact sheet from that afternoon, along with Joey Ramone at Coney Island in 1977.

Godlis photographed the band and the club at night through the late 1970s, Ebet Roberts photographed them at CBGB in 1977 and at the Palladium in 1979, and Allan Tannenbaum, Bobby Grossman, Chris Stein and Richard Aaron each photographed the band inside the same downtown circle.

The story continues outside New York. Ian Dickson photographed the Ramones in Liverpool in 1977 and 1978, at Eric's Club and at the site of the original Cavern Club. Michael Grecco photographed them in Boston in 1981, and George DuBose made the cover of Too Tough to Die and the later New York portraits.

Taken together, these photographs are the visual record of how four musicians from Queens became the reference point for punk everywhere else.

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 and a secure digital provenance record.

Photographers in this collection: Bob Gruen, Roberta Bayley, Godlis, Ebet Roberts, Ian Dickson, George DuBose, Michael Grecco, Allan Tannenbaum, Bobby Grossman and Chris Stein. Related collections: CBGB, Punk, Blondie.

89 works

Icons of Punk

Although the Ramones never achieved the commercial success of many of the bands they inspired, their image became one of the most recognizable visual symbols in modern music.

Leather jackets, ripped jeans, Converse sneakers, and shoulder-length hair formed a visual identity that transcended music and entered fashion, graphic design, film, and popular culture.

These portraits document the transformation of four musicians from Queens into enduring cultural icons.
Icons of Punk
Dee Dee Ramone, Ramones, the Palladium, 1979. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Dee Dee Ramone, Ramones, the Palladium, 1979TMPG·4262
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Ramones, New York City, 1981. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Ramones, New York City, 1981TMPG·9430
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
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Dee Dee Ramone, New York City, 1980, photographed by Godlis.
Dee Dee Ramone, New York City, 1980TMPG·2182
Godlis From $1,200
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Joey Ramone, CBGB, 1981, photographed by Godlis.
Joey Ramone, CBGB, 1981TMPG·1558
Godlis From $1,200
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Ramones, New York City, 1978, photographed by Richard Aaron.
Ramones, New York City, 1978TMPG·5254
Richard Aaron From $850
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Ramones group performance, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Ramones, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, Group PerformanceTMPG·9670
Michael Grecco From $1,500
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Joey Ramone performing, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Joey Ramone, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, PerformingTMPG·7174
Michael Grecco From $1,500
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The Ramones, “Too Tough To Die” album cover, 1984, photographed by George DuBose.
The Ramones, cover of "Too Tough to Die"TMPG·7174
George DuBose From $1,300
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Ramones, black and white checkered floor, New York, circa 1984, photographed by George DuBose.
Ramones, New York City, c. 1984TMPG·8390
George DuBose From $1,300
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Legacy

Legacy

Decades after their formation, the Ramones remain one of the most influential bands in rock history. Their music inspired generations of artists across punk, alternative rock, hardcore, grunge, and independent music.

The photographs in this final section illustrate how the band's visual identity continued to evolve while remaining instantly recognizable.

Today, original photographs of the Ramones are collected not only as music memorabilia, but as important documents of twentieth-century cultural history.
Ramones in the New York City subway, 1977, photographed by George DuBose.
Ramones, New York City Subway, 1977TMPG·5686
George DuBose From $1,300
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Joey Ramone microphone close-up, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Joey Ramone, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, Microphone Close-UpTMPG·4582
Michael Grecco From $1,500
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Dee Dee Ramone performing with guitar, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Dee Dee Ramone, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981, Performing With GuitarTMPG·0390
Michael Grecco From $1,500
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Johnny Ramone performing live in Liverpool, UK, 1978, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Johnny Ramone Performing Live, Liverpool, UK, 1978TMPG·4262
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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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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Joey Ramone at the site of the original Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, 1977, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Joey Ramone at the Original Cavern Club Site, Liverpool, England, 1977TMPG·2326
Ian Dickson From $1,300
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The Ramones with Arturo Vega, New York City, 1976, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Ramones with Arturo Vega, New York City, 1976TMPG·5462
Roberta Bayley From $1,200
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Joey Ramone with Banner, New York City, 1977, photographed by Chris Stein.
Joey Ramone with Banner, New York City, 1977TMPG·0374
Chris Stein From $1,000
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Ramones Close-Up with Banner, New York City, 1977, photographed by Chris Stein.
Ramones Close-Up with Banner, New York City, 1977TMPG·3142
Chris Stein From $1,000
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54 of 89 works