Original Ravers — Peter J Walsh

Original Ravers brings together 51 previously unseen portraits by Peter J Walsh, photographed at The Haçienda in Manchester in January 1991 and newly scanned from his archive.

Walsh had been photographing The Haçienda since the late 1980s. For this series he set up a temporary portrait studio in the club’s basement, close to the Gay Traitor bar, while Friday and Saturday nights continued upstairs. Clubbers were brought down from the dancefloor and photographed against a simple cloth backdrop.

The resulting portraits are unusually direct. Away from the lights and scale of the main room, attention falls on the people themselves: sportswear, oversized jackets, tracksuits, trainers, hats and the clothes worn through a cold Manchester winter. Some arrive in groups, others stand alone.

The photographs were made shortly before The Haçienda announced a temporary closure at the end of January 1991. Acid house had already changed British club culture, and Manchester was moving through the period that brought together The Haçienda, Factory Records, independent fashion, record shops and a rapidly expanding dance scene.

Walsh was there as both photographer and clubber. Original Ravers comes from that position, a set of portraits made in the club, of the people who were actually going there.