Home/ Collections/ Sex Pistols
Photography · Collection

Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols — Photographs, 1976 to 1982

The Sex Pistols existed as a band for barely more than two years, and almost everything we know of them visually was made by a small group of photographers who were close enough to work without permission.

The collection begins in London in 1976, with Ian Dickson and Mick Rock photographing Johnny Rotten before the band had a record out. It follows the group to Europe in 1977, where Bob Gruen photographed them in Luxembourg, and then to the American tour of January 1978, the last two weeks of the band's life. Bob Gruen, Roberta Bayley, Richard Aaron, Ebet Roberts and Lynn Goldsmith travelled with them through Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and their photographs from Dallas, San Antonio, Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa and Memphis are the closest record that exists of the Sex Pistols coming apart in public.

A final group of works follows John Lydon after the band ended: Godlis in New York in 1979, Sheila Rock in Chelsea in 1980, and Michael Grecco in Boston and New York at the beginning of Public Image Ltd.

These are not publicity images. They were made by photographers who were in the room, on the bus and at the side of the stage, and they carry the disorder of the moment rather than a version cleaned up afterwards.

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, Lynn Goldsmith, Ebet Roberts, Richard Aaron, Sheila Rock, Godlis, Michael Grecco, Bobby Grossman, Ian Dickson, Mick Rock and Marcia Resnick. Related collections: Punk, Ramones, The Clash.

31 works
Mick Jones, Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious, New York City, 1978. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Mick Jones, Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious, New York City, 1978TMPG·8102
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
Select options →
Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols during the U.S. Tour, 1978, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, US Tour, 1978TMPG·0086
Bob Gruen From $1,200
Select options →
Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious Europe 1977 photograph by Bob Gruen
Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, Europe, 1977TMPG·2774
Bob Gruen From $1,500
Select options →
Sid Vicious on stage in Dallas, 1978, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Sid Vicious, On Stage, Dallas, 1978TMPG·2054
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
Select options →
Sid Vicious, Dallas, 1978, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Sid Vicious on the Bar, Dallas, 1978TMPG·7878
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
Select options →
Johnny Rotten, San Antonio, 1978, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Johnny Rotten, San Antonio, 1978TMPG·6086
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
Select options →
Sex Pistols, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, 1978, photographed by Roberta Bayley.
Sex Pistols at Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, 1978TMPG·7638
Roberta Bayley From $1,400
Select options →
Sid Vicious, San Antonio, TX, 1978, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Sid Vicious, San Antonio, TX, 1978TMPG·1414
Bob Gruen From $1,200
Select options →
Johnny Rotten, 1976, photographed by Mick Rock.
Johnny Rotten, 1976TMPG·8214
Mick Rock From $1,500
Select options →
Johnny Rotten performing, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Johnny Rotten, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980, PerformingTMPG·0838
Michael Grecco From $1,500
Select options →
Johnny Rotten and Keith Levene backstage portrait, New York City, 1982, photographed by Michael Grecco.
Johnny Rotten & Keith Levene, New York City, 1982, Backstage PortraitTMPG·1462
Michael Grecco From $1,500
Select options →
Johnny Rotten, London, 1976, photographed by Ian Dickson.
Johnny Rotten, London, 1976TMPG·8774
Ian Dickson From $1,250
Select options →
John Lydon, Warwick Hotel, New York City, 1979, photographed by Godlis.
John Lydon, Warwick Hotel, New York City, 1979TMPG·4054
Godlis From $1,200
Select options →
Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten. Luxembourg. November 1977, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten, Luxembourg, 1977TMPG·4950
Bob Gruen From $1,500
Select options →
Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, 1978. Photograph by Ebet Roberts.
Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, 1978TMPG·6134
Ebet Roberts From $1,000
Select options →
Sid Vicious, Texas, 1978, photographed by Richard Aaron.
Sid Vicious, Texas, 1978TMPG·2854
Richard Aaron From $850
Select options →
Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, 1977, photographed by Richard Aaron.
Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols, 1977TMPG·8118
Richard Aaron From $850
Select options →
Sex Pistols, 1977, photographed by Richard Aaron.
Sex Pistols, 1977TMPG·9814
Richard Aaron From $850
Select options →
18 of 31 works