Archive of over 175 photographs relating to the Wrigley, Tennessee chapter of the Rare Blood Motorcycle Club, circa 1980s-1990s

Wrigley, TN: N.p., Circa 1980s-1990s. Archive of over 175 photographs relating to the Wrigley, Tennessee, chapter of the Rare Blood Motorcycle club, a predominantly African American motorcycle club, with at least nine other (largely African American) motorcycle clubs identified in the photographs. 175 photographs are housed in a generic maroon three-ring photograph album, with each photograph affixed to adhesive leaves with plastic overlays. Nine additional photographs are laid in, including an 8 x 12 enlargement of a photograph found in the album.

Much of the archive documents gatherings at the group's clubhouse and offers an unfiltered and intimate look inside a southern working-class African American subculture. A handful of photographs include personal photographs of family and friends associated with the organization and the unknown compilers.

Although documentation is sparse, the Rare Blood Motorcycle Club appears to have been founded in Franklin, Ohio, in the 1980's, with that chapter filing as a corporate non-profit in 1984. As well as the Franklin branch, the Wrigley branch was also noted as being involved in various charitable activities, as found in a March 23, 1984 article from Clarkesville's The Leaf-Chronicle, "Motorcycle Clubs Raise Funds:" "Rare Blood and Black Beauties of Wrigley, Naptown Riders of Nashville and Soul Players of Dickson, whose members are predominantly black, banded together Saturday to sponsor a benefit dance near Dickson for the 5-year-old Clarksville youth (Lamont Russell) who swallowed caustic drain cleaner over a year ago. ... Jimmy Hornbeak, Wrigley, president of Rare Blood, said his club aids many causes."

Other motorcycle clubs represented in the photographs include: The Easy Riders (Memphis, TN), the Gamblers (Columbus, OH), Heavy Metal (Columbus, OH), Boogie Down (Detroit, MI), Mystic Knights (Cleveland, OH), King Cobras (Lexington, KY), Foxy Ladies (OH), Zulus (Youngstown, OH), and the A-Town E-Z Riders (Columbia, TN).

Photographs, various sizes from 3.25 x 4.25 inches to 8 x 12 inches. Near Fine overall, with one photograph on the recto of the seventh leaf with dampstaining and bruising.

Photograph Album, 10 x 11.5 inches. Very Good plus.

[Book #160648]