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80s

Black and white image showing person sitting on concrete pier with city skyline and bridge in background across water.
© Martha Cooper
Music

I Hear Music in the Streets: How New York emerged as a global beacon of culture

From subways to the sky — Seeing the emergence of disco, hip-hop and much more, the city’s streets, rooftops and blocks were incubators of experimentation and parties in the ’70s and ’80s. A new book brings together the work of over 50 photographers who captured its grassroots, underground heyday.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Woman on racing motorcycle with number 4, pit area with mechanics working on bike numbered 190, vintage racing scene.
Sport

Races, revving and revelry: 20 years of US motorcycling in photos

American Motorcycling Culture — Photographer Jack Lueders-Booth has had a lifetime obsession with two wheelers, and the wider culture surrounding them. His new photobook explores his archive between 1980 and 2000, taken at road meets, track races and more.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Black and white image showing police officers carrying a person on a street with crowd and shops in background.
Activism

Resilience and resistance during The Thatcher Years

The iron reign — Photojournalist Paul Pickard’s new book revisits English Midlands life during ’80s, when he was on the frontlines recording news and key events, as tensions between people and authority came to a head.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Black and white image of woman standing behind counter in shop with shelves of bottles, jars, and products arranged on wall behind her.
Activism

Remembering Fietas, Johannesburg’s vibrant neighbourhood ripped by Apartheid

Fragments of Fietas — In the ’70s, South African authorities forcibly removed non-white people from the western suburb, now known as Pageview. Enraged, photographer David Goldblatt documented its erasure.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Black and white image of two people in dark clothing posing closely together indoors, with a decorative bust visible on the left.
© David Koppel
Culture

The abandoned church at the heart of London’s ’80s nightlife

Limelight — Set on Shaftesbury Avenue, the club was a weekend destination for the city’s celebrities and stars, but also folks looking for a good night out. In-house photographer David Koppel’s new book and exhibition revisits its heyday.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Breakdancer performing freeze move on cardboard mat surrounded by crowd of spectators in park setting with trees in background.
© Cathy Campbell
Culture

Classic ’80s NYC hip-hop film Wild Style is being remastered

Bronx breaks — Created by Charlie Ahearn, the part-documentary, part-fiction movie captured the genre’s early style and music, as well as its intertwined relationship with breakdance and graffiti culture.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Black and white image of two people lying on ground amongst debris and scattered papers, with tree trunk visible in background.
Activism

Remembering the radical anti-nuclear Greenham Women’s Peace Camp

Life at the Fence — In the early ’80s, a women’s only camp at an RAF site in Berkshire was formed to protest the threat of nuclear arms. Janine Wiedel’s new photobook revisits its anti-establishment setup and people.

Written by: Miss Rosen

© Sharon Smith
Culture

Vibrant polaroids of New York’s ’80s party scene

Camera Girl — After stumbling across a newspaper advert in 1980, Sharon Smith became one of the city’s most prolific nightlife photographers. Her new book revisits the array of stars and characters who frequented its most legendary clubs.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Culture

Kathy Shorr’s splashy portraits inside limousines

The Ride of a Lifetime — Wanting to marry a love of cars and photography, Kathy Shorr worked as a limousine driver in the ’80s to use as a studio on wheels. Her new photobook explores her archive.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Music

Remembering Taboo, the party that reshaped ’80s London nightlife

Glitter on the floor — Curators Martin Green and NJ Stevenson revisit Leigh Bowery’s legendary night, a space for wild expression that reimagined partying and fashion.

Written by: Cyna Mirzai

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