Cynthia Connolly, Minor Threat Photo Box Set, Dischord House, December 1982 (limited edition of 25)

Cynthia Connolly
Minor Threat Photo Box Set, Dischord House, December 1982
(limited edition of 25)
$2,400

Minor Threat, Dischord House, December 1982. Photo Box Set by Cynthia Connolly

Brian Baker (g) in the Minor Threat van on Western Avenue near Mazza Galerie, Washington, D.C.
Steve Hansgen (b) in the Minor Threat practice space, basement, Dischord House
Ian MacKaye (v) getting his head shaved at the Dischord House
Jeff Nelson (d) in the office at Dischord House
Lyle Preslar (g) in the Minor Threat practice space, basement, Dischord House

Printed on 8” x 10” Ilford Multigrade Classic Glossy fiber photo paper; image size: 6 1/8” x 9 1⁄4”
Print File Archival Box Dimensions: 8 3/8” x 10 1/4“ x 1 1/8”
Each photograph is titled, editioned and signed en verso and packaged with Heritage Interleav Unbuffered archival paper.

This is a carefully created box set that contains five 8"x10" photographs of the DC punk band Minor Threat that Cynthia Connolly photographed in December, 1982. Read the entire story below: (most of which is also included in the box set front pocket info sheet / flyer.) and / or watch this video on how and why Cynthia made the box set.

The Story: In December 1982, Connolly went to Dischord House to take a series of film photographs of Minor Threat. This was right before they went into the studio to record what would become the Out of Step EP and they were finishing up the songs. Connolly thought they were hoping to get some candid shots of them practicing to use on the cover. The negative sheet is labeled “Minor Threat taken for Out of Step, 12-82”.

Brian Baker and the artist lived near each other in DC at the time. Judging by the sequence of the negatives, it appears that he picked Connolly up in the Minor Threat van and then they went to a nearby McDonalds so he could get lunch. On the way to Dischord, the artist took the photograph of Brian with his feet on the steering wheel. (!!)

Dischord House was a group house located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from DC. Jeff Nelson and Ian MacKaye both lived at the house with a few other punks and the label had a small office just off of the kitchen. Bands practiced in the tiny basement despite the fact that the ceiling was less than 6’ high.

Connolly started taking photos when we were hanging out before they practiced, including the shot of Ian getting his head shaved, and of Jeff in the Dischord office. Later, the artist took pictures of Lyle Preslar and Steve Hansgen tuning in the basement. These are some of the only photographs of Minor Threat in their practice space. Although these photographs were not used for Out of Step, two were used later in the Salad Days 7” EP. (Dischord no. 15), Michael Azerrad’s book, Our Band Could be Your Life (2002), Banned in DC, and numerous other zines and magazines.

The rest of the story: That same month, Connolly was asked to make a drawing for the cover of the Out of Step EP, of which Ian and the artist discussed including a black sheep. Connolly produced one drawing of a black sheep in crayon with the flock of white sheep in watercolor which was used for the cover and released in March, 1983 right when the band went on their second US tour.

Technicals: These photographs were shot using Tri-X black and white 35mm film that Connolly processed in the Corcoran School of Art darkroom where she was working on her BFA. She made the custom prints for this box set, using the original negatives, in my studio darkroom in January, 2022 in an edition of 25. A set of artist proofs were given to the band members. Darkroom prints (silver gelatin is the technical name for a black and white darkroom analog photographic print) are made by allowing light through the negative that is mounted in the enlarger where then light sensitive paper is exposed in a timed setting. The photo paper is then individually hand processed through an hour long multiple chemical bath process. These photographs, if stored properly and in its original archival storage box, should last a lifetime, if not longer. While printing this series, it was discovered that one of the negative strips is deteriorating, which means that this might be the last of the silver gelatin prints made from these negatives. Find a letter-pressed library pocket on the outside lid of the box that contains this note of explanation. The back of the note has a photocopy of a Minor Threat flyer from the artist's personal collection.

Please be aware and thoughtful to Connolly's art: You are buying these rare photographs for your personal collection and enjoyment. You are not buying the rights to exhibit publicly or sell the rights to use digitally. Photographs copyright 1982 Cynthia Connolly. cynthiaconnolly.com @cynthi4connolly