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Graffiti by Sex Pistols regarded as being ‘historically significant’
John Lydon
A study by York archaeologists has concluded graffiti discovered in a flat once rented by the Sex Pistols in the 1970s may be more historically significant than the discovery of early Beatles recordings.
The intact graffiti, which was found behind cupboards in a property in London’s West End, has been described by researchers as “a direct and powerful representation of a radical and dramatic movement of rebellion”.
It follows a detailed analysis of the graffiti’s content and its cultural significance by Dr John Schofield, from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, and independent researcher Dr Paul Graves-Brown.
The bulk is by John Lydon, aka Jonny Rotten, and shows eight cartoons of himself and other members of the band, as well as their manager, Malcolm McLaren, and other associates of the band.
Dr Schofield said: “The tabloid Press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered at the BBC were the most important archaeological find since Tutankhamun’s tomb. The Sex Pistols’ graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and, to our minds, usurps it.”
Although they acknowledge it could be considered rude, offensive and uncomfortable, the researchers agree that its presence confirms the Denmark Street flat as an important historical and archaeological site in a street known as London’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’.
In the study, published in an archaeological journal, the researchers refer to the site as “anti-heritage”, because it contradicts what heritage groups typically value. They pair debate over whether or not a blue plaque should be erected at the flat to mark its historical significance. Dr Schofield said: “The building is undoubtedly important, and could meet criteria for listing or for a blue plaque, if not now then in time.”
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