Blog/The Boombox Project
Photographer Lyle Owerko has created a visual timeline of the era of the boombox. Exactly when the term ‘boombox’ hit the streets is not known for sure. In the United States, department stores apparently began using the term in marketing and advertising as early as 1983. Street slang linguists pin the term down at 1981, and define the boombox as “a large portable radio and tape player with two attached speakers.”
Initially, it became identified with certain segments of urban society, hence adopting epithetic nicknames like ‘ghetto blaster’ and ‘jam box.’ But as the masses began to embrace these gargantuan conglomerations of electronics, lights and plated gadgetry an inherent form of portable entertainment and expression was born.
The boombox as it has evolved is now an icon of popular culture, it has been referenced by rockers, poppers, hip-hoppers and graffers alike. It is a symbol of rebellion and a way to shout your message at the system. Turn up the volume on your boombox, whatever the size, and let the capstan wheels of the tape deck drive a favorite mix-tape to life. As the defiant voice of punk rock legend, Joe Strummer sang, “This is radio clash using audio ammunition…”
