Woodstock 1969 In Photography



Woodstock’s cultural, social and political impact was profound. 

It was the counter-culture’s Ur-moment when a generation’s mass-expression ripped a gaping hole in conformity with a turbo-charged salvo of music and mores that had been percolating beneath the surface for years. It is significant that its message coalesced around a music festival, of all things. But with no social media, selfies or live streams (gasp!) in 1969 to transmit the message, the gathering’s primary iconography depended upon photography — which to this day remains an essential part of the live experience. 
What follows are some of Woodstock’s most iconic photographic moments courtesy of the Morrison Hotel Gallery which is currently hosting the exhibition “Woodstock: 3 Days That Lasted 50 Years” at all three of its gallery locations in New York, Los Angeles and Maui through Labor Day. 
Featured here is work by talented lens people Henry Diltz (official Woodstock photographer and Morrison Hotel Gallery co-owner), Elliott Landy, Ken Regan and Amalie R. Rothschild, who each gave the world an amazing glimpse of what was stardust, golden and back in the garden, to paraphrase Crosby Stills, Nash & Young. All photos and more are available for purchase at each gallery and at www.morrisonhotelgallery.com.

For more, pick up Pollstar’s special Woodstock 50 edition, which also includes: an oral history of the original Woodstock; an in-depth interview with Danny Wimmer Presents’ Gary Spivack, who booked Woodstock 50’s impressive lineup; “When Rome Burned,” an extensive report on Woodstock ’99; an archival photo gallery from 1969, courtesy of the Morrison Hotel Gallery, which is now hosting the exhibition “Woodstock: 3 Days That Lasted 50 Years”; and much more.