The SF Main Library‘s Jewett Gallery has a cool-sounding exhibition going on right now that celebrates the City’s late ’70s punk scene. According to the Library:

Punk Passage: San Francisco First Wave Punk features 45 black and white portraits and live music photographs of original punk innovators by the San Francisco-based photographer Ruby Ray. Working for the seminal punk magazine, Search and Destroy, Ray began chronicling the City’s punk scene in 1977.

Original punk rock ‘zines, flyers and posters from 1977 to 1981, along with additional articles and ephemera from the Library’s Art, Music and Recreation Center Collection and from the Little Magazine Collection, Book Arts & Special Collections, also will be on view, sharing the rich historical roots of punk rock from the center of the San Francisco artistic movement…

An additional display will be on view in the Main Library’s Lower Level Café, entitled Punk Penelope, featuring original artwork, albums and ephemera from the collection of Penelope Houston, singer/songwriter and founder of the punk rock band, The Avengers.

The exhibition continues through December 6th, with a number of upcoming special events:

Punk Live on Film – Screenings of Louder, Faster, Shorter; Deaf Punk; and Insect Lounge Sally Remix 1978 followed by audience Q & A with filmmaker Mindy Bagdon and photographer Ruby Ray.
Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.
Koret Auditorium, Main Library

Gimme Something Better – Author reading and presentation by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor. Book sale to follow.
Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.
Latino Hispanic Community Meeting Room, Main Library

West Coast Premiere of SF Punk – Screening of documentary film by Target Video followed by audience Q & A with photographer Ruby Ray and video producer Joe Rees.
Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.
Koret Auditorium, Main Library

Panel Discussion: Queer Punk
Panelists include KD Davis, bass player for Wilma and Impulse F, Debbie Hopkins, drummer for The Contractions and Jon Ginoli, founder of Pansy Division.
Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library,
1 José Sarria Court at 16th Street