In 1947, the event that become known as the Hollister Riot occurred on the 4th of July Celebrations in Hollister, CA. It was a motorcycle rally that featured 4,000 members of the American Motorcycle Association. Motorcycle rallies had become increasingly popular in the post World War Two era as more and more men were taking up the hobby of group motorcycle riding.
The crowd of 4,000 people was several times more than had been expected, and the small town was overwhelmed by bikers who were forced to sleep on sidewalks and in parks. About 50 people were arrested during the event, most for public intoxication, reckless driving, and disturbing the peace. Some were fighting and racing in the streets; there were 60 reported injuries, of which 3 were serious. The AMA allegedly stated, “the trouble was caused by the one per cent deviant that tarnishes the public image of both motorcycles and motorcyclists”, coining the term “one-percenter” to describe “outlaw” bikers.
The above photo of Eddie Davenport, a member of a now defunct club called the Tulare Riders, was staged by a San Francisco Chronicle photographer named Barney Peterson amidst beer-bottles. (Peterson got there after the riots). The photo finally ran in Life magazine under the caption, “Cyclist’s Holiday: He and his friends terrorize a town.”
The 1953 film The Wild One (starring Marlon Brando) was inspired by the event and based on the article run in Life magazine.
via Life magazine
The funny thing is that we have many pictures like this without being staged by photographers . I gotta tell you that photographers love to stage- demand what you need to do to make a good picture (in his/her mind). Almost all of pictures in newspaper are staged somehow. Especially in where we are. Eagles...
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