Boasting the largest collection of its kind in the world, iconic punk magazine Maximum Rocknroll has always come with the unspoken disclaimer that it was meant to be held outside the confines of the internet. But fans of the monthly print zine have often (though, maybe secretly) lamented the fact you couldn’t read back issues on the world wide web. That is about to change.
With their 40th anniversary pending in 2017, the staff of Maximum Rocknroll is taking on the immense task of archiving “the largest assemblage of punk material history on earth,” dating back to 1977, in an effort to make it all available online.
In addition to records, the archive is home to countless rare and unheard demo tapes, zines, photographs, one-of-a-kind record covers designed by the magazine’s founder Tim Yohannan, and flyers dating back to the genre’s inception, many of which will be digitized for the first time. MRR has been instrumental in punk history and historiography, and the archive and database will be an essential resource for record collectors, historians, and anyone interested in punk, hardcore, and garage rock.
As you can imagine, this is no small task—especially for a volunteer-run non-profit—so they’ve set up an IndieGogo campaign to help fund the project. With a goal of $15,000 to go towards servers, scanners, long-term preservation materials, and man-power, you can donate to the cause and help Maximum Rocknroll segue from an figurative punk museum to a literal one. In a testament to their lasting legacy, they’ve already raised nearly 50% of their goal in just one day.
If you would like to become immortalized in punk history, you can donate to Maximum Rocknroll’s fundraising campaign here. They’re also accepting volunteers for “inventorying the collection and helping with preservation work. We also need help with transcription, which can be done remotely.” You can e-mail them to inquire about a becoming volunteer here.
You can watch a video about the archive project below.
