Henry Rollins was two years away from joining Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys hadn’t released their first album yet, and punk rock in the U.S. was largely ignored by the masses.

In this musical primordial ooze of 1979, The Chronicle sent a reporter and a photographer to three fledgling S.F. punk clubs: Mabuhay Gardens, Temple Beautiful and the Deaf Club.

“Call it punk. Call it new wave,” The Chronicle’s Joel Selvin wrote in an Oct. 8, 1979, article. “This rough, rude, raw brand of rock ’n’ roll, now muscling its way out of the underground, threatens to shake up the pop music scene — and, some say, the social scene as well.”

The photos from this assignment, more than 100 images taken by staff photographer Vici MacDonald, were recently discovered and scanned by Chronicle librarian Bill Van Niekerken. They showcase a rare early look at a scene now considered one of the most influential in San Francisco history.

The three clubs, still talked about nearly 40 years later, became flash points for the San Francisco punk scene and its DIY ethos that continues to influence independent art, culture and business in the Bay Area and beyond.

More Information Recognize yourself? If you are in these photos of fans at S.F. clubs, contact Peter Hartlaub: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Podcast: On “The Big Event,” Jello Biafra recalls the first time he saw a punk band at Mabuhay Gardens: www.sfchronicle.com/podcasts

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MacDonald and Selvin’s tour of the clubs resulted in two articles, both designed to explain punk rock to a still-conservative San Francisco population, which was reeling after a series of tragedies including the murder of Mayor George Moscone and the Jonestown massacre.

“Just when you think tastelessness has reached its nadir, along comes a punk rock group called The Dead Kennedys, which will play at Mabuhay Gardens on the 15th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination,” Herb Caen wrote in a Nov. 17, 1978, column. “Despite mounting protests, the owner of Mabuhay says, ‘I can’t cancel them NOW — there’s a contract!’”

Portraits of the Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra and then-wife Theresa Soder, lead singer of the Situations, are included in the punk rock club images. The Dead Kennedys and a San Diego group called the Dinettes are pictured performing onstage, but the most illuminating photos are of the random fans attending the shows.

Like the young people in The Chronicle’s photos taken during the Summer of Love, the punk rock fans of 1979 look very little like the stereotype that has developed over the years. Many in the audience wear ties, elaborate hairdos and other signs of a new wave influence. There are very few shaved heads, combat boots and other looks associated with the hard-core scene that would flourish later.

And some of the fans are shockingly young. Mabuhay Gardens promoter Dirk Dirksen was known for hosting all-ages shows, with some of the band members also in their teens.

Selvin tried to describe a scene of controlled chaos, camaraderie and even the vices of choice.

“Crowds jammed in front of the stage shove and flail at each other — violently but all in good fun,” Selvin wrote. “Dancing is largely a matter of jumping straight up and down — a step known as ‘the pogo.’

“Although pot is out, alcohol and cocaine are definitely in with the punks.”

The Chronicle was on assignment to cover the Western Front punk rock festival. But a poll of ticket-buyers showed that most were just regulars of the clubs who didn’t even know the gathering was happening.

The three clubs, all defunct by the late 1980s, can be seen in vivid detail. Selvin reported that the claustrophobic Deaf Club on Valencia Street, then called San Francisco Club of the Deaf, included “spike-haired fans mixing with the club members, who can’t hear the music but feel the vibrations.”

But the Temple Beautiful, a former Jewish temple wedged between the Fillmore Auditorium and Jim Jones’ old church, is the most photogenic space. Young people gather on pews, drinking cans of Budweiser, in front of walls that include a mixture of punk rock slogans written in pen and what appears to be a memorial wall with synagogue members listed.

A child who looks no older than 13 stands in a filthy corner, with a cigarette in his fingers and a pin that declares, “F— DISCO.”

Mostly, people just seem to be having a good time, unaware that music historians would still be talking about these clubs four decades later, as they entered old age. Selvin interviewed rock promoter Bill Graham for his story. Graham said he was steering clear of the punk scene but didn’t dismiss the movement altogether.

“The young kids today want new heroes,” Graham said. “They want new clothing styles and new hairstyles. Maybe they will shake up some of the gods whose gates are locked.”

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub