Final Major Project Case Study on Skinheads

For my Final Major, I chose to concentrate on Skinheads. During one of my early assignments which I based on tattoos, I came across an American white supremacist named Curtis Allgier. His face and body are completely covered in tattoos depicting his controversial views. I became fascinated with how people with such radical views think and act and the reasoning behind why they choose tattoos as a method of getting their opinions across.

I studied photographers such as Nick Knight, who photographed skinheads in the 1970s and 80s. Knight is a former skinhead who is now a very well respected fashion photographer, and his photographs of skinheads are some of my favourite images of all time. They are raw and beautiful and honest. 

Below is the case study that I submitted for my Final Major project to co-incide with the practical part which was also concentrated on skinheads. You can view my photographs on my Flikr photostream. I would welcome any feedback on either my photographs or my report, but please do not steal it!

The Evolution of Skinheads from 1967 to the Present Day.

Final Major Project – Case Study

Student: Lucy Williams                                                 Tutor: Stuart Carter Friday 14th May, 2010

Contents

3.    Introduction

4.    The Birth of the Skinhead

6.    Decline and Revival

7.    Politics and Racism

10.   Defining Characteristics from the sixties to the Present Day

12.   Tattoos and their Relationship with Skinheads

16.   Conclusion

17.   Other Images

18.   Bibliography

  Introduction

     Throughout this study, I will look at how the skinhead subculture has evolved from its emergence in the late sixties, to its continued popularity amongst the working classes in the present day. I aim to discover the true history of skinheads and identify their origins and beliefs, as well as their political and racial views. I am also going to look at the relevance of tattoos within the subculture, in particular, the relationship with tribalism. By studying work by such photographers as Nick Knight and Gavin Watson, I am going to discover why the resurgence of the subculture in the late seventies and early eighties caused the controversy that surrounds the subject today.

The Birth of the Skinhead

       The word “Skinhead” is often perceived as a negative one. To those who are naïve to their history, skinheads are seen as violent and racist. Although this may be true to some skinheads, the first wave of original (traditional or “trads”) skinheads were born out of a multi-racial bond between working class Mods, teddy boys, and Jamaican immigrants who came to London during the 1960s, who had a strong and united hatred for authority and the ruling classes.

     The Mod scene, which was popular in the early 1960s, had begun to divide. While the middle class mods could afford to keep up the trend of expensive clothes and fashionable haircuts, the working class mods were pushed aside, as they could not afford the same luxuries, and as a result, “hard mods” were born. This new subculture separated itself aesthetically from the middle class mods, by their shaven haircuts and a typical British working class men’s style of the time, which consisted of work boots, shirts, tight jeans and braces. Jamaican influences such as ska, reggae and soul music as well as their mannerisms were picked up by the hard mods as a result of living so close to one another, and with that, the skinhead was born

[1].

Fig 1

  Decline and Revival

    This culture was short-lived, and by the early 1970s it had somewhat deteriorated due to media hype over their violent and volatile nature. However, by the late 1970s skinheads had resurfaced in Britain as well as internationally[2]. Nick Knight, author of “Skinhead” (Knight, N, 1982), explains that although there was a decline in skinheads around 1972, they never really died out in the east end of London and in industrial areas of the Midlands. He mentions that with the rise of punks and their rivals, the teddy boys, a new breed of skinheads had appeared with very different views to the trads of 1969, and that each of the opposing groups had their own skinhead supporters. While the supporters of the teddy boys mostly remained traditionalists (although some were pro-British and slightly fascist), the followers of the punks were extremely anti-establishment, anti-royalist and anarchic. These were what are known as “anarcho-skins[3]”. Knight states that “the new skins achieved this by reviving the most extreme elements of the old skinhead style and exaggerating them[4]”. The new breed of skinheads are the most well known, and are the reason why skinheads are seen as figures of racial hatred. As they had adopted certain characteristics of traditional skinheads such as the jeans, boots and braces and occasionally the shaven hairstyles (although this was uncommon amongst the supporters of the punk movement who tended to wear mohawks), they were easily recognisable by the public and were an easy target for the media. The swastika was a common symbol displayed by these skins in the form of facial tattoos, and acted as a mark of intimidation as well as a sign of white power amongst some nationalist skinheads.

Politics and Racism

     In the early days, politics had no place within skinhead culture, and it wasn’t until the re-birth in the seventies that politics began to play its part. The National Front, something which today is depicted as going hand-in-hand with skins, emerged as the leading party for neo-Nazi and white power skins the eighties who were opposed to the Conservative Party in power at the time. Formed in 1967, the National Front was a collaboration between three existing parties; the Racial Preservation Society, the British National Party and the League of Empire Loyalists[5]. They essentially stood for the pride of the British, and were unhappy with the amount of immigrants who were being allowed to live in Britain. Racist skins were an ideal target as supporters, and they were easily persuaded by charismatic party members who promised to “put right” what Thatcher had done wrong. Below are some photographs taken by Ian Berry, who has photographed National Front demonstrations and rallies from 1980-2004 which mostly feature skinheads.

  

Fig 2 and 3

     The political side to the skinhead revival is also featured in “This is England”, a British cult film about a 12 year old boy who befriends a group of skins. Director Shane Meadows, who was once a skin himself, comments on the National Front as painting a picture of a “Chruchillian vision of Asian families rowing into the white cliffs of Dover on boats, and that the skinheads would be on the beaches fighting to stop them entering the country”[6]. He states that this is an appealing mindset to adopt as a young working class skinhead, witnessing people in your town in a dire state of poverty due to unemployment, when parties such as the National Front are pointing the finger of blame at immigrants.    

    As I previously stated, the most common misconception shared today about skinheads is that they are all racist. This statement is undeniably true for a small section of the subculture, but the majority of skinheads, particularly traditional skins and members of the Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (or S.H.A.R.Ps) section of the subculture hold absolutely no racist views. This resonates through the music that they listen to, such as reggae and two-tone, aptly named because they put black and white musicians together to create ska[7]. Media hype and concentration on the small section of neo-Nazi skins, white supremacists such as Curtis Allgier (pictured on the next page), have led people to believe that being a skinhead is a precursor to being a racist. Allgier is currently being held at Salt Lake Penitentiary for charges including capital murder. He was arrested in Salt Lake City on June 25^th 2007 after he shot and killed a corrections officer transporting him to a hospital[8].  In an interview for American television channel MSNBC, Allgier freely admits to being a skinhead. He says that “being a skinhead is a way of life, it’s preserving your race, it’s being proud of who you are[9]”.

Fig 4

    However, there is a distinct difference between a neo-Nazi skinhead, which Allgier is, and a traditional skinhead. It is acutely obvious, just from looking at him, that he is racist. His tattoos are mostly symbols with Nazi affiliations. He bears countless swastikas, as well as symbols such as the number “14”, which stands for the 14 word slogan of white supremacists; “we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, as shown in the image above. Allgier is what could be described as one of the “new breed” of skinheads, as described in Nick Knight’s book. This new generation of skins, particularly in America, became increasingly racist, and adopted the tough style and attitude of traditional skins and simply exaggerated it.

      As Allgier appeared on numerous news stories across America, it is easy to see why someone who knows nothing about the multi-cultural history of skins would assume that he is what could be described as “typical” of skinheads, when in fact he is in a very small minority. As with any subculture, the media have a tendency to pick the most negative aspects to broadcast, because they will cause the most controversy, and it is this which has brought about the negative image of skinheads that still resonates today.

Defining Characteristics from the Sixties to the Present Day

     With the majority of traditional skins coming from working class backgrounds, it was common that a lot of skinheads were uneducated. Included in Knight’s book, which is essentially a walk-through guide to skinheads and includes photographs he had take during the 1970s, is a letter written by “Harry the Duck”, a 16 year old skin from East London, in 1981. This boy is what could be described as a “typical” skinhead, and as Knight describes; “he is awkward and not especially bright. He is not articulate and he can hardly write. His opinions are none too savoury (still less kosher). He is not a pretty sight”. Knight asked him to write down what he liked about being a skinhead.

Fig 5

 According to Shane Meadows, skinheads were “amongst Britain's first anti-racists, mixing with newly arrived waves of West Indian immigrants with whom they indulged a mutual love of reggae and ska[10]”. This was during 1969 and 1972, and from their revival onward they have become increasingly associated with racism and neo-Nazi ideologies.

     This is England draws light upon the poverty that many working class skinheads faced during the 1980s as well as being poorly educated, indicated by their language and their use of colloquialisms. The film also illustrates their alcohol and drug use, something which photographer Peter Marlow discovered when he met with a group of skinheads from Essex, around the same time that the film was set. His images show young skins sniffing glue on the seafront.

 

Fig 6, 7 & 8

    

Tattoos and their Relationship with Skinheads

One of the most defining characteristics of skinheads is their tattoos. Used as a symbol of pride, intimidation, or racial hatred, tattoos have always been a part of skinhead culture. The word Tattoo originates from the Tahitian words “Tatu” or “Tatau”, “Ta” meaning to mark or strike (according to www.designboom.com’s brief history of tattoos), however, there is no real evidence to suggest that Tahiti was the birthplace of the tattoo. There are a few information sources which claim to know of the first example of a tattooed person. J. Tithonus Pednaud of Made Marvels (www.thehumanmarvels.com) claims that a slave from the Philippines named Prince Giolo, who was put on display by William Dampier in 1691, was the first example of a tattooed man.

Fig 9 – Prince Giolo

Dampier described him as "painted all down the breast, between his shoulders and behind; on his thighs (mostly) before; and in the form of several broad rings or bracelets, round his arms and legs.”[11]

    One of the most famous discoveries of “the first tattooed man” is that of Ötzi, found near Hauslabjoch in the Ötzal Alps on September 19, 1991 (and was subsequently named Ötzi after his place of discovery) by two German hikers. It is highly likely that he was the first example of a tattooed man, as it is estimated that he is around 5300 years old, carbon dated to about 3300BC[12]. The tattoos that covered his body consisted of lines and dots in certain areas, post mortems revealed that he had arthritis in these areas and it was therefore suggested that his tattoos were applied in relation to acupuncture (although there is no evidence for this)[13].

     According to Henk Schiffmacher, author of “1000 Tattoos” (Schiffmacher, H, 2001, TESCHEN), the original meanings of many tribal tattoos, such as those of the Berbers and the Samoans, are that they were applied for medicinal purposes (against rheumatism). This is also common in Egypt and South Africa. These tattoos consisted of a series of patterns, dots and lines in particular areas of the body such as along the back of the leg from the ankle to the knee, because they believed that this could protect against illness. Many tattoos held by tribe members can only be roughly translated, their true meanings may never be discovered as they date back thousands of years and are surrounded by a great deal of mystery as to how they came to be. However, they also serve as a guide to the history of tribes-people through non verbal communication in the deciphering and analysis of tattoos and markings on the body.

  

     The tattoos held by skinheads are very similar to tribal tattoos, in that they are a re-occurring aspect of the whole subculture. As well as some being in “code”, the tattoos displayed by neo-Nazi skinheads such as Curtis Allgier are a prime example for example. One of his tattoos, the numbers “88”, which represent the words “Heil Hitler” (the 8 stands for the eighth letter of the alphabet)[14], are something which other neo-Nazi skins would understand the meaning of.

Tattoos such as “Made in England” for example were commonly displayed on the heads and throats of some skins, such as the photograph taken from Knight’s “Skinhead” of a young man being led away by a police officer wearing the words “MADE IN BRITIAN” proudly on his forehead. The word “skinhead” or “skins” is an extremely common tattoo used amongst skinheads, and can be tattooed anywhere from the face to the fingers as a symbol of self pride.

    Football was also an important part of skinhead culture, and as a result, football related tattoos also became extremely popular. Emblems of the Union Jack are common amongst nationalist and traditional skinheads, as well as images of bulldogs and other symbols relating to British pride. These act as a badge of honour and something which displays loyalty to their country.

  

Fig 13 & 14

Conclusion

    Having researched many aspects of the subculture, it is clear that society’s views about skinheads are fairly misled. Largely perceived as racist, their origins of a multi-cultural alliance against the ruling classes and authority are forgotten by most. Admittedly, I assumed this presumption before my research was conducted, mainly because of the negative press that skinheads receive, their intimidating appearance, and the depiction of racial hatred in such films as “American History X” and “This is England”. This controversial subculture is often disregarded by those who can only scratch the surface of something which is much deeper than they could ever imagine it to be. From the films I have watched and the books and articles that I have read, I have gained an appreciation for those who come from nothing and stand up for what they believe in. 

      Although I do not condone the violent and volatile nature that the majority of skinheads demonstrate, I feel it necessary to draw light upon the reason that they exist today, and to make sure that their origins within West Indian culture are not forgotten.

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[1] http://libcom.org/history/1960-today-skinhead-culture

[2] From the sections “Decline” and “Revival", Knight, N, 1982, Skinhead, Omnibus Press

[3] From the definition given by: www.skinheadrevolt.com

[4] Page 23, line 22, Knight, N, 1982, Skinhead, Omnibus Press

[5] http://www.national-front.org.uk/nfhistory.htm

[6] http://www.thisisenglandmovie.co.uk/#/skinhead/ from the section “Skinhead 80s”

[7] http://invereskstreet.blogspot.com/2009/09/skinheads-cult-of-trouble-by-ian-walker.html

[8] http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2007/08/23/face-of-hate-curtis-allgier-explained/

[9] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3u5yH3ryH4

[10] http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1617295,00.html, - Christopher Thompson, Time Magazine 2007.

[11] J. Tithonus Pednaud; http://princegiolo.blogspot.com/2007/11/who-is-prince-giolo.html

[12] “History of Tattoos” – Designboom, http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.html

[13] “History of Tattoos – Bronze Age” – Designboom, http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.html

[14] Curtis Allgier’s Tattoos and their Meanings; http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/4295133a.jpg