Essences: Derek Ridgers

Today my daily thank-you card goes to: Derek Ridgers!

Thanks to this quiet observer and british photographer who with the beginning of the 70's captured over more than three decades of british social scenes and thus did a more than good job in documenting british pop-, street- and sub-cultures of Skinheads, Punks and New Romantics from this era. Not only in the streets of London he found his scenarios to record, also in the fashionable Soho's club scene you always were a witness of marvellous nightly spectacles.

Thanks to this man that following generations always will be able to enjoy and vaguely imagine the vibe of all these extravagant and exotic characters of this bygone era in Great Britain.

"They really were remarkable and very creative times. Which ended, in my opinion, when Leigh Bowery's Taboo closed in 1987."

                   Leicester Square 1983                                                  Brighton 1980

                 Sean. Skin Two. Soho 1983                                            At Club Fantastic. Southwark 1996