The Bebop Scene in London's Soho, 1945-1950: Post-war Britain's First Youth Subculture

This book explores the bebop subculture that emerged in London's Soho in 1945, combining archival research and theory to show how it evolved, and how it was an important precedent to the institutional harassment of black-related spaces and culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 275 pages
Publication date: 24 November 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This groundbreaking work is the first to chronicle the vibrant and influential bebop subculture that flourished in the heart of London's Soho in the mid-1940s. Through a comprehensive exploration of the intersections of race, class, and gender, the book delves into the construction and expression of bebop identities. By combining a wide range of archival research and theoretical frameworks, the book vividly portrays how the bebop scene unfolded in the clubs of Soho, the fashion trends that emerged alongside the music, the prevalence of drug use among a segment of the group, and the moral panic that resulted in police raids on these clubs between 1947 and 1950.

Following this historical account, the book charts the significant shifts in popular culture that took place in Soho during the 1950s. It makes a compelling argument that the bebop story serves as a crucial precedent to the institutional harassment of black-related spaces and culture that persisted throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Consequently, this book challenges the established narrative of British post-war youth subcultures and rewrites the first chapter of the 'classic subcultural canon.' It prompts us to reevaluate the periodization and social composition of these subcultures, shedding light on their enduring impact on society.

Weight: 508g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031055546
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022