Check Out 1980s Punk San Francisco

Alternative Voices, a new photography exhibition reveals the charged cultural and political scene of the 80s underground that made San Francisco a fertile center for art, activism and Punk Rock.

Curated by photographer Jeanne M. Hansen, the exhibition features photographs she took while actively participating in the underground alongside interviews with well-known punk scensters, conducted over five years and edited by renowned author Jonah Raskin. With a sense of beauty and power, the exhibition takes viewers on a walk on the wild side of a San Francisco on the cusp of the emerging HIV/AIDS crisis, reviving a unique time and place in the City’s history.

Visit SFPL’s online exhibit to see a sample of the 16 interviews and over 40 photographs that are on view in the Main Library.

You can explore the venues featured in this exhibit on Google Maps, where you can find more information about each venue along with links and photos. View the exhibit in the Jewett Gallery – Lower Level at San Francisco’s Main Library through January 23, 2022.