THE TEDS - CHRIS STEELE PERKINS & RICHARD SMITH

The Teds
by Chris Steele-Perkins & Richard Smith

The Teds is a raw and uncompromising portrait of Britain’s Teddy Boy subculture, captured at the height of its intensity. Through stark black-and-white photography and sharp, observational text, the book documents a generation defined by style, defiance, and belonging.

Chris Steele-Perkins’ images are direct and unsentimental: young men caught in moments of pride, aggression, intimacy, and boredom. Suits, slicked hair, cigarettes, and confrontational gazes become symbols of identity and resistance, while Richard Smith’s writing provides context without romanticizing the scene.

More than a style document, The Teds is a social record — a study of class, youth culture, and rebellion in post-war Britain. The book stands as a key reference in documentary photography, where fashion, attitude, and social tension collide.

An essential title for readers interested in subcultures, British youth movements, documentary photography, and outsider identities.