[PROTEST]. Camerawork No. 8 / Lewisham: What are you taking pictures for? (London): (Half Moon Photography Workshop), (1977).

[PROTEST].
Camerawork No. 8 / Lewisham: What are you taking pictures for?
(London): (Half Moon Photography Workshop), (November 1977).

Folio (419 × 298 mm), pp.16. 26 black-and-white photographs by Mike Abrahams, Peter Marlow, Paul McCowen, Tom Picton, Chris Schwarz, Chris Steele-Perkins, Homer Sykes, and Paul Trevor, the centrespread reproduces an artwork by Derek Boshier. Tabloid format folded horizontally as issued; creasing to fold, wear to edges, light toning. A very good copy.

First edition. Camerawork was a left-wing magazine that grew out of the Half Moon Photography Workshop, an arts centre in London's East End. This issue covers 'The Battle of Lewisham', which took place on 13 August 1977 when the National Front attempted to march through Lewisham, a multi-racial working class area of London. A large number of anti-racist protestors turned out to oppose them, and the ensuing street battle was the largest since Oswald Mosely's supporters were beaten back when they unsuccessfully attempted to march through London's East End in 1936. In Lewisham the ferocity of the fighting led to police being deployed with riot shields, marking the first time such equipment was used on the streets of mainland Britain.

This publication features short interviews with the photographers whose work is featured, together with a commentary on the way that the British newspapers covered the event, including a chart showing how many photographs each newspaper used in their coverage and whether they showed Injured Police, Riot shields etc, Arrests, Vicious Weapons, Demonstators, Injured bystanders, NF attacking demonstrators, Attacks on police, SWP press conference.

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