The Birth of Punk exhibit showing at the Seaport through August
The Birth of Punk is a free pop-up exhibit at 25 Fulton at The Seaport that traces the origins of the genre from the seeds set by The Velvet Underground up through the death of Sid Vicious at the Chelsea Hotel, via words, images, music and film. Presented by The Great Frog and Morrison Hotel Gallery, it’s a nicely done exhibit featuring a timeline that wraps around the walls of the upstairs space that includes rare photos of Blondie, Bowie, Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, The New York Dolls, Suicide, and more, as well as sneering illustrations by cartoonist, writer and Punk zine founder John Holmstrom. In the center of the upstairs there are also floor-to-ceiling sheets of fabric featuring lyrics from classic punk songs. There’s an accompanying Spotify audio tour as well.
Downstairs features a video screen showing classic punk live footage (The Sex Pistols while I was there), a giant photo of an early Ramones gig that greets you on the way in, and an interactive “peephole” that also features the Ramones. All the photos on display are also available to purchase via The Morrison Hotel Gallery.
Originally scheduled for June, The Birth of Punk pop-up has been extended twice and is currently set to come down at the end of August. If you’re at the Seaport for a Rooftop at Pier 17 show (like Blondie and The Damned this week), or are checking out Jean-George’s just-opened The Tin Building gastro-megaplex, it’s definitely worth checking out.
The Birth of Punk is open Wednesday – Sunday from noon – 8 PM at 25 Fulton St (between Water & Front). See a few photos of the space below.
