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British Subculture

1970s-80s

Photographs by Janette Beckman

Janette Beckman’s work has spanned more than five decades. As a portrait and documentary photographer, she captured the rise of punk in seventies London, as well as soundsystem culture, skinhead, ska and mod revival movements during the onset of Thatcher’s Britain.

Growing up in North London, Beckman was surrounded by art and culture from a young age. Enrolling on a course at Saint Martins, she initially envisioned becoming a portrait artist like David Hockney, though she never thought her drawings were good enough. Eventually, she decided to study photography at The London College of Printing. After leaving college, she taught photography for a while before landing a job working for magazines Melody Maker and later The Face – photographing everyone from The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie Sioux and The Specials.

A sharply dressed young mod in a suit adjusts his tie whilst his friend looks on.
Mod Revival in Streatham, 1979.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Mods on a scooter whizz by other young mods on a Streatham street in 1979.
Mod Revival in Streatham, 1979.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Seven girls dressed in Ska / 2-tone style rude girl clothing do a 'madness' style band pose on the 2-tone tour in Aylesbury, 1980.
Ska Girls, Aylesbury, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Four young male punks pose outside the influential boutique 'Boy' in London, 1977.
Boy, London, 1970s.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

A portrait of a young punk girl with spiky blonde hair wearing a sex pistols t-shirt in London, 1979.
Punk Girl, London, 1970s.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Punks congregating on a London street for a memorial service for Sid Vicious in 1980.
Sid Vicious Memorial, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

"Punk is an irrepressible attitude. It brought an anti-establishment, raw freshness to music, art, and style. It was about change, the idea that people should question authority and take action themselves."

- Janette Beckman.

Punks congregating on a London street for a memorial service for Sid Vicious in 1980.
Sid Vicious Memorial, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

A group of punks sitting on a bench and hanging out in a square in London in 1979.
Punks in London, circa 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Two young punk girls with spikey bleached blonde hair; the girl on the left is wearing a clash t-shirt, and the other has various punk badges on her jacket.
Punk Girls, Hyde Park, London, 1977.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

A young black man dressed in punk clothing poses for the camera.
Coventry Punk, 1979.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Two teenage girls and a teenage boy sharply dressed in mod clothing posing against a backdrop of a brick wall in Streatham, South London, 1979.
Ladbroke Grove, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

The Islington Twins dressed in matching mod clothing and sunglasses stand against a garage door backdrop in London, 1980.
The Islington Twins, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Four young men gather around a huge sound system at a venue in Ladbroke Grove, London, 1980.
Ladbroke Grove Sound System.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Punks congregating on a London street for a memorial service for Sid Vicious in 1980.
Sid Vicious Memorial, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

A group of young fans of the band 'The Jam' are gathered in a large outdoor park ahead of a gig by the band in 1980.
Young Jam Fans, 1980.

Photo © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved.

Collection published June 30th, 2020. © Janette Beckman / British Culture Archive. All rights reserved.

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All images © Janette Beckman, all rights reserved. No usage or reproduction of any kind without prior permission of the copyright holder.