Shooting the Swiss teen rebels of the 1950s
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Karlheinz Weinberger
Before his death in 2006, Karlheinz Weinberger was little known. The Swiss photographer had spent most of his life working at Siemens plant in Zurich, only pausing briefly to shoot on his breaks, evenings and weekends. For him, his real life – the one where he got to indulge in his passion for photography – started on Friday night, and ended on Monday morning.
Weinberger’s work focused mainly on the characters living on the fringes of society. He would shoot his fellow plant workers, immigrants, bikers, rockers, and rebellious leather-clad teens – basically, anyone who positioned themselves as an “outsider” or who felt left behind in some way by mainstream culture.
Now, for the first time, Weinberger’s huge artistic trove is being published. Thanks to art-book publisher Sturm & Drang, the photographer’s stylish black and white portraits will finally see the light of day, with five volume-long photo book series currently in the works. The first publication, focusing on his run-ins with bikers and rebels, is called HALBSTARKE (a Swiss-German word for rebels/outsider – go figure).
“Tens of thousands of prints, slides and negatives have been collected, archived, numbered and indexed over the course of the last decade,” revealed Sturm & Drang in a statement. “With Halbstarke as Volume #1, Sturm & Drang publishers will follow with more releases that cover topics such as sports, tattoos and insignias, his travels to the South of Italy, and the extensive work he did with biker gangs and rockers.”
HALBSTARKE is available now via Sturm & Drang.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The suave style and subtle codes of gay San Francisco in the ’70s
Seminal Works — Hal Fischer’s new photobook explores the photographer’s archive, in which he documented the street fashion and culture of the city post-Gay Liberation, and pre-AIDS pandemic.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The stripped, DIY experimentalism of SHOOT zine
Zine Scene — Conceived by photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya in the ’00s, the publication’s photos injected vulnerability into gay portraiture, and provided a window into the characters of the Brooklyn arts scene. A new photobook collates work made across its seven issues.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The heady bliss of Glastonbury Festival after the music
Not Done Yet — While the weekend’s headliners and stacked line-ups usually draws the majority of the attention, much of its magic occurs after the music stops. Mischa Haller’s new photobook captures the euphoria and endless possibilities of Glasto’s “in between” moments.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Confronting America’s history of violence against student protest
Through A Mirror, Darkly — In May 1970, two separate massacres at American college campuses saw deaths at the hands of the state. Naeem Mohaiemen’s new three-channel film memorialises the brutality.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The cathartic roar of Vietnam’s hardcore punk scene
Going hardcore in Saigon — In a country that has gradually opened up in recent decades, a burgeoning youth movement is creating an outlet for youth frustration and anxiety. Frank L’Opez reports from the country’s biggest city’s underground.
Written by: Frank L’Opez
Defiant photos of New York’s ’80s & ’90s queer activists
Arresting Images — Dona Ann McAdams’ photographs document the AIDS crisis, lesbian organising and civil disobedience from one of the most fraught eras in American LGBTQ+ history. A sale of her archive takes place later this month.
Written by: Sydney Lobe
