Sex Pistols Graffiti As Important As Early Beatles Work

New campaign is underway to save wall scrawling for future generations

Published 28th Nov 2011

Gibson reports that the Pistols defaced the walls in a flat in Denmark Street in London in 1975 and an academic is trying to have the "work" preserved.

Dr. John Schofield, a member of staff at the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, says he believes the graffiti is worthy of being preserved as heritage pieces, meaning the graffiti would be granted equivalent status to cave drawings from prehistoric times.

The graffiti, on the walls of the flat was mainly drawn by John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten).

Schofield told the Daily Telegraph: "The tabloid press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered at the BBC were the most important archaeological find since Tutankhamen’s tomb. The Sex Pistols' graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and - to our minds - usurps it.

"This is an important site, historically and archaeologically, for the material and evidence it contains. The building is undoubtedly important, and could meet criteria for listing or for a blue plaque, if not now then in time.”

(Gibson)