In 1976, when I moved into the St. James Hotel, I bought myself one of the cheapest pocket cameras available. Fully automatic, with no controls or settings, it just required a simple slot-in film cartridge. An idiot could use it - and I did.
This book is a product of that cameras and those times - my family album from 1976 to 1978. The photos you see were all unplanned, spur of the moments shots taken by myself for myself and, up until now, with never a thought given to publication. In over thirty years, they have only been seen by a handful of close friends. I used to think they weren’t good enough to show people. Now I think they are almost too good.
150 exclusive, full colour photographs of the people at the heart of what would later be known as ’punk’ in London, focusing mainly on the strong, creative women, artists and writers.
Women such as Jordan, Siouxsie, Debbie Juvenile, Tracie O’Keefe, Ari Up, Poly Styrene and Nico. Artists and writers such as Malcolm McLaren, Helen Wellington-Lloyd aka Helen of Troy, Bertie Marshall aka Berlin and Derek Jarman.
Also, in a series of afterwords specially written for the book, a selection of people, who I have personally admired for their creativity and bravery, have written some thoughts on the subject. Although none were directly involved in the London punk scene, all have, in their own ways, had some bearing on it - either before or after.
Six aka Simon Barker