Something’s Going On: Mary Lou Fulton’s Newly Rediscovered Photographs Of Punks, Mods, And Rockabillies From The 1980s – Design You Trust

Something’s Going On: Mary Lou Fulton’s Newly Rediscovered Photographs Of Punks, Mods, And Rockabillies From The 1980s

The radio blasted fast, easy headline news. Punks go on rampage at Huntington Park…$25,000 worth of damage…Police called to quell disturbance…

h/t: flashbak

The announcer’s voice wafted out cars gridlocked nose-to-tail on the L.A. freeway. Sweaty, vein-tense drivers, thinking, What the hell’s wrong with kids today? Rioting, burning stuff, tearing shit down. Never woulda happened in my day.

Every older generation looks the same at their youth. They’re a threat. Can’t have the kids screwing it up for the rest of us, gotta keep them in line. That’s why we got the cops.

People listening to the story on KNX radio and later that night on local TV news never got to hear the full story. Punks rioting was the line the cops wanted you to hear.

That afternoon, kids had been hanging around Huntingdon Park waiting to see the Exploited headline later that night at Mendiola’s Ballroom. These kids called themselves punks. They wore ripped denim, black leather jackets, had spiked hair, and some of these young fellas actually wore make-up, God-darnit. The cops went in hard, beating the crap out of everyone they could find.

Amongst the crowd was a photo-journalist Mary Lou Fulton. She was taking pictures of these youngsters for an article her colleague Pat McCartney was writing for the L.A. Weekly. What was intended as a look at a growing youth subculture ended up being a piece about its destruction.

“I began working on a coming of age subculture piece in the early 80s. It included Punks, Mods, Rockers, Rockabillies, Guardian Angels etc.. I was drawn to their energy, camaraderie, and creative spirit”









If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Venice Beach By Dotan Saguy
2014 National Geographic Photo Contest, Week 6
Soviet ‘Thaw’ Of The 1960s Through The Lens Of Vladimir Lagrange
Cat Cafe in Osaka, Japan
The RoAcH CoAcH: How the Designer Imagined the Cars of The Future from The 1970s
NASA Shares 30 Breathtaking Photos Of Jupiter Taken By The Juno Spacecraft
Where The Silence Rings: Absolutely Breathtaking Mountains Photography By Max Rive
Pan American Games End with Colorful Closing Ceremony
Dutch Photographer Documents Eccentric Costumed Motorbike Taxi Drivers In Nairobi
These Stunning Drone Photos Would Be Completely Illegal Now
The Miracle of Birth
The Worst Metal Album Covers Of All Time
"Loud Whispers": The Beautiful and Poetic Film Photographs by Melchi Dompreh
Photographer Mirko Nahmijas Reveals The 'Star Wars' Architecture Of Soviet Belgrade
Child Labor In America: Horrible Photographs That Show Boys At Coal And Zinc Mines From A Century Ago
The Photographer Who Was Bitten By A Black Mamba… And Got The Shot
Australian Nikon-Walkley Awards 2016 Winners
19 Times People Took An Ordinary Photo And Got A Renaissance Masterpiece
The Tattooed Venus And The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Danish Photographer Captures Atmospheric Images of the Hyllie Water Tower Covered with a Morning Fog
Remarkable Behind-The-Scenes Photos From 'Back To The Future' That Will Bring You Back To The '80s
Jan Erik Waider’ Photos Capture The Dark Beauty Of Greenland Icebergs And Northern Landscapes
Vintage Cover Photos of The Popular Magazine in the 1920s
Palermo Viejo: Photographer Captured Abandoned Vintage Cars in Italy