The Tunnel Archive

Bill Alford was the house photographer at the The Tunnel Club from 1985 to 1987. A notorious alternative comedy club managed by the impresario Malcolm Hardee, it was considered the Alternative Comedy Club to the Comedy Store. This was where acts could be tested against the most vocal and unruly audiences. This was Malcolm’s domain, and the breeding ground for hardened stand ups before the bright lights, or indeed ignominy, took them to pastures new.

 

Between 1985 and ’87, “Bill The Snap” – as coined by Malcolm - supplied black and white prints of each act most Sunday nights in return for free beer and the promise of glory. The beer followed but not the glory. Working on the premise that the acts and audience were the stars, Bill kept a low profile while capturing the variety of the acts and barely contained anarchy that prevailed in the audience and on stage. He employed a method of working using available light, not only producing the atmospheric images he sought, but also avoiding the wrath of the comedians who would target anyone foolish enough to advertise their presence with a camera flash. Despite Malcolm’s patronage, anyone was fair game.

 

Over two thousand images from Bill’s collection are to form the heart of this project: The Tunnel Archive. Bill has re-scanned hundreds of images for selection for a potential book, the ultimate objective being to have a digital archive of all of these negatives, and preserve a body of work not only culturally significant, but also aesthetically beautiful. 

Bill Alford’s photographs capture a moment in time at the formation of many a career on stage in comedy and acting. The stark beauty of the solo performer with nothing but their wit and guile to survive – in many cases artists pushing the comedy envelope at the forefront of a movement that is now considered the norm.

 

This prestigious archive needs to be seen. Here a small sample…