Time Life Releases Historic Hells Angels Photos

In 1965 the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was still a fairly new entity on the American motorcycle scene. So new, in fact, that the average American was barely aware of their existence unless one of the fledgling chapters existed in their town. In order to find out what they were all about, and capture the day-to-day life of a Hells Angels member, Life magazine sent staff writer Joe Bride and a photographer by the name of Bill Ray to spend a week with the Hells Angels in California.

Unfortunately, due to a disagreement among editors the story and its accompanying photographs were never published in Life Magazine. The good news is that Time Life recently decided to release the photographs on their website along with a very brief description of some of the events of that week. It is a captivating look into what the Hells Angels were way back in the early days of the organization. In most of the pictures the Angels look like regular Joe's, while in other cases you can see members with full colors on their backs.

Not much has changed about the club since those photos were taken some 46 years ago. Even the Angels custom club patch remains nearly identical to what was in the early days. New recruits had to earn their full patches back then, and they still do today, which is why you can't simply go down to the store and buy one off the shelf.

The Hells Angels are a proud group of bikers that take their name and brotherhood seriously. Since those early days the 1960s they have grown and expanded to be one of the largest motorcycle clubs around the world.

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