Like hanging out in Africa half a century ago

The late 60's, the sexual revolution, far South Africa, the apartheid regime — seemingly absolutely nothing in common. But take a look... remind you of anything?

These photos were taken in the night clubs of Cape town, South Africa, in the late 60-ies.

The main place of action — club "Catacombs" in the day — time hairdresser for Pets, and at night one of the most popular and crowded nightlife of the city.

Visitors to the club — the so-called "party" at the time — was a wild mixture of Bohemians and underground.

Rich old men with young wives, secular girls and homosexuals coexisted here with criminals, sailors and prostitutes, but also with an unprecedented apartheid arrogance — interracial couples.

Moda-60s — mini skirts, boots, bright makeup and lush hair — illustrates the results across countries of the West sexual revolution.

The interior of the clubs, to put it mildly, unpretentious, and not much different from the nearby slums. Bare walls, a couple of tables and plastic bar.

With a reputation as a ladies ' man, womanizer, fighter and musician, he was an integral part of the scene that was photographed.

Exactly what it took for her, allowed him to approach his subjects so close and get candid shots of a night of fun. However, this also contributed to the glory of man, which may at any time to strike, and not weak.

Club "the Catacombs", 13 February 1968.

About the Monk is little known. They say that he was born on 11 January, but what year is unknown — no one ever knew how old he really years.

He didn't like to talk about his childhood, the past is clearly not in the most prosperous family. His early activities was to survive, mostly due to petty crime.

Before diving head first into the nightlife, he had to serve time in jail for safe-cracking, to visit a model and a diver diamonds.

In the Catacombs, the monk came to work as a bouncer, but was in that role not too good, beating the guilty visitors to death.

When working as a bouncer at a club went wrong, a monk almost by accident came into the world of photography. Continuing to work in "the Catacombs", he began to earn, taking all kinds of visitors of this institution with a very mixed reputation.

For two years, from 1967 to 1969, his bright flash highlighted not only the dirty ins and outs of the life of underground clubs, but very diverse hilarious the audience attending them.

Night life, shows monk, at that time was hidden from prying eyes, difficult to see her somewhere else now. In fact, he was the only one who captured this dark side of life, and brought later to his pictures such a success.

Monk worked in the heyday of apartheid in South Africa — at a time when skin color determined where people could live, work, who to marry and where to drink.

In the underground style of life "Catacombs" and was born the so-called dissent — the club has broken all possible taboos and conventions of apartheid.

However, neither the photographer nor his subjects did not consider themselves opposition and regime fighters. The monk was just trying to make money by selling the pictures they depict the people as memories of "lovely evening", and they just wanted to have fun.

Pictures of monk, with detailed annotations with names and dates, was discovered in 1979, 10 years after he ceased to remove, and in 1982 was presented at the exhibition in Johannesburg, which was a huge success.

Once, while working at "the Catacombs", Billy said one of his friends: "you'll see, with photo, I will succeed. They will be talking about my photographs long after I'm gone". He was absolutely right.