THE TEDS
CHRIS STEELE-PERKINS
“In early 1954, on a late train from Southend, someone pulled the communication cord. The train ground to a halt. Light bulbs were smashed. Police arrested a gang dressed in Edwardian suits. In April, two gangs, also dressed Edwardian-style, met after a dance. They were ready for action: bricks and sand-filled socks were used. Fifty-five youths were taken in for questioning. The following August Bank Holiday, the first ‘Best Dressed Ted Contest’ was held. The winner was a twenty-year-old greengrocer’s assistant. Thus the Teddy Boy myth was born.”
This classic book is an amazing journey through the British underground movement of working-class Teddy Boys. Originally published in softback in 1979, the book was re-issued by publisher Dewi Lewis in hardback.
Chris Steele-Perkins is a nationally acclaimed British photographer and member of Magnum Photos.
Photos courtesy of Chris Steele-Perkins.
