Washington, DC, was ground zero for the punk scene in the movement’s early years, and the influence of The District’s snarling hardcore bands and underground venues still looms large today. The DC Punk Archive, founded in 2014, aims to document and honour that legacy. Housed in The People’s Archive, the local history wing of the DC Public Library, the growing collection features a wide range of items such as photographs, books, zines, vinyl records, articles, tapes, fliers, set listings, and more, all preserved from the 1970s DC punk scene.
Expect rad music ephemera belonging to such legends as Fugazi and Minor Threat, but dig deeper into the expansive collections and one will discover stories of many lesser known local acts, figures and places.
The archive isn’t limited to music or musicians, either. The diverse holdings elaborate a charged and historic subculture complete with festivals, DIY spaces, record shops, radio stations, social cliques, activist campaigns, punk houses, and show antics, all essential to the DC scene. It is truly a must-see archive and hub for fans, punk enthusiasts, and researchers. Some slices of the collection have been digitized, and the library’s volunteers regularly share exciting finds and facts on their Twitter @DCPUNKARCHIVE, or find out more at DCLIBRARY.ORG/PUNK.