25 Vintage Photographs of Hell’s Angels, America's Most Feared Motorcycle Gang

By Andrew Alpin, 20 April 2018

Everyone knows about the dreaded Hell’s Angels Motorbike gang. Formally known as the HAMC or Hell’s Angels Motorcycle club, the biggest icon of the notorious group is the signature Harley Davidson. Being an all-white male biker gang, Federal authorities in the US and Canada widely regard them a notorious crime syndicate From meth to murder and molestation, the notorious gang officially turned 70 last month. Here are some infamous and inside vintage photos of America’s most dangerous biker gang.

1Young Hells Angel member enjoying himself

A young member enjoys a ride on his Harley outside Bakersfield California. The club was officially conceived on March 17, 1948, by World War II veteran family called the Bishop family form Fontana California.

Image Source: www.tumblr.com

2How it got the name

The name “Hells Angels was inspired by American flying squadrons of WWI and WWII. One of them was notably the Flying Tigers' "Hell's Angels" that served in China. 

Image Source: www.newsbeast.gr

3The Old Ladies

Here is a group of women who are wives and girlfriends of Gang members taken during a run from San Bernardino to California in 1965. They were referred to as “The Old Ladies.”

Image Source: medium.com

4Sonny Barger

Members hanging out a picnic table. The man with the bandaged forehead is Sonny Barger of Oakland who started the Oakland California chapter of the gang in 1957.

Image Source: www.fresher.ru

5Making out with fellow males

Although the biker gang prides itself on its male masculinity and a heterosexual image, it wasn’t uncommon for male bikers to kiss each other in public just to antagonize people in those days.

Image Source: www.pinsdaddy.com

6Inside photo of Manhattan headquarters

This was a then-secret photo acquired by a journalist in 1970 of the Manhattan east Village headquarters.

 

Image Source: nydailynews.com

7Police apprehending gang member

An LA County Sheriff deputy stops a gang member to search him for illegal items and weapons in Bakersfield California 1965.

Image Source: tintunggiay.net

8Fight at a concert

Hell’s Angels members fight at the Altamont free concert in 1969 where it was reported that one concertgoer was stabbed to death.

Image Source: tintunggiay.net

9Wheelie time

Hells Angels Biker doing a wheelie in the middle of the road in Bakersfield 1965 

Image Source: historycollection.co

10Terry the Tramp with Ustad Allah Rakha

Yes they loved her music. This is famous gang member Terry the Tramp with Tabla maestro Ustad Allah Rakha.

Image Source: pinimg.com

11Buzzard

Another famous gang member Buzzard enjoying the ride on an open road from San Bernardino to Bakersfield in 1965.

 

Image Source: motovoyager.net

12Celebrities loved to be seen with them

Here are Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts with gang members at the Altamont free concert in December 1969. 

Image Source: .pinimg.com

13Bikers on the road

This is one of the many photographs taken by LIFE photographer Bill Ray who travelled with the gang in 1965, it wasn’t carried by the magazine but published only recently in 2015. 

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14From archives of Life

Here is another vintage photograph taken from the archives of LIFE magazine. 

Image Source: messynessychic.com

15Colorized photo of Hell Angels bikers

Another colorized snapshot of two members of the gang cruising down a California highway in 1965 

Image Source: www.oldskull.net

16"Old ladies" hang out in blue blaze bar

Hells Angels Old ladies (girlfriends and wives of gang members) hang out in Blue Blaze bar California in 1965.

Image Source: paintingsoncanvas.net

17Clash with ant war protesters

Bike members clashing with anti-Vietnam War supporters at Berkley Oakland. 35 members of the gang broke down barricades and attacked the protesters. Just two bikers were arrested and one police officer suffered a broken nose. 

Image Source: newsd.co

18Sonny Bargar wounded

Taken in 1965, this shows one of the leading Oakland members Sonny Barger being stitched by a nurse. 

Image Source: madefrom.com

19Funeral of Jeffrey “Groover” Coffrey

Members pay their last respects at the funeral of gang member Jeffery Coffrey in New York on March 11th 1971. Coffrey was killed during a fight with another Biker gang in Cleveland. 

Image Source: mototraveller.ru

20Joan Jett with Hell’s Angels

Rock artist Joan Jett is seen posing on the bikes of one of the gang members in New York sometime in 1985. 

21Arrested

An FBI agent cuffs and takes away a Hells Angels member suspected of being party to narcotics and weapons. Taken in Albany 1985. 

Image Source: zadn.vn

22Not always bad

Onlookers watch curiously at bikers pulling up to the Emma Children’s Hospital in Amsterdam on June 24th 1987 to visit sick children. 

23The original Harley

The icon of the Hell’s Angel’s gang and its signature trademark the good old American Harley. 

Image Source: pinimg.com

24FBI guarding the clubhouse

Taken on May 2nd, 1985, where FBI is guarding the clubhouse on east 3rd street Manhattan after a raid 

Image Source: tintaynguyen.com

25Hell Angels group Daly City

The Daly City chapter of the Hells Angels gang posing in Daly for a group photo 

Image Source: www.hellsangelsdalycity.com


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