Palace Skateboards drops long-awaited photo book

Hot off the back of their ICA exhibition, Palace Skateboards have released a photo book made in collaboration with Alasdair McLellan, and published by IDEA.

As well as 120 photos featuring Lev Tanju, Lucien Clarke, Blondey McCoy and other members of the PWBC skate crew, the book comes with a 7000-word essay by Dazed’s former books editor Stuart Hammond, original Fergus Purcell-designed graphics and an iron-on t-shirt transfer.

McLellan is one of the most celebrated photographers of British youth subcultures and has been photography the Palace boys for the past seven years.

“When I thought about skateboarding pictures I always used to think about America,” he explains. “Then I met Lev and PWBC. They all dressed more like they were going to a football match than skating in Waterloo. It was very British. The fact that looked like they could be in Fagin’s gang; it was like something out of a Dickens novel. I liked that the names they all had sounded like they’re out of Brighton Rock too; Nugget, Blondey, Edson, Snowy.”

“Alasdair was always interested in all of the crew, and also everything that went on outside of the actual skating,” explains Tanju. “The photographs are like our family album. You can see all of us growing up together and it’s a really personal thing and great memories of a time that was wicked for all of us.”

The book, which actually resembles a family album thanks to its ring binder, was designed by acclaimed graphic design duo M/M (Paris) who worked on McLellan’s other two books. For this is the photographer’s third book of late – in 2013 he released Ultimate Clothing Company which captures his love of the North and, in January of this year, he dropped Ceremony which collates his photographs of the ceremonial troops of the British Army.

It’ll be on sale online at midnight on the 20th July from www.ideanow.online, www.palaceskateboards.com and the DSM E-Shop. Word of advice: sort out your autofill, because this is going to sell out in seconds – trust me.