Woodstock 45 years on... Previously unseen photos from the most famous music ...

  • Not only is Woodstock one of the most famous music

    festivals of all time, it was also one of the defining moments of the 1960s

    counter-culture movement

  • Rolling Stone magazine’s first

    photographer Baron Wolman was sent to Max Yasgur’s farm in the

    Catskills to cover the festival

  • More interested in the crowd than the performers, his photographs are hugely evocative and offer an insight into this legendary event that is rarely seen

  • The images in his book perfectly capture the

    zeitgeist, the music, the drugs, the people, the sheer hedonism; the

    enduring legacy of the most famous festival ever

By

David Mccormack



Published:

21:49 EST, 22 June 2014


|
Updated:

10:13 EST, 23 June 2014


Woodstock is not only one of the most famous music festivals of all time, it was also one of the defining moments of the 1960s counter-culture movement.


What started as a free event advertised for 50,000, quickly turned into one of the most important music festival in history, attended by over half a million people, united in a message of peace, love, openness and cultural expression.


Rolling Stone magazine’s first photographer Baron Wolman was sent to Max Yasgur’s farm in the Catskills, upstate New York, to cover the festival and now 45 years later he has released a book featuring previously unreleased photographs of the era-defining event.


Woodstock is not only one of the most famous music festivals of all time, it also one of the defining moments of the 1960s counter-culture movement



What started as a free event advertised for 50,000, quickly turned into one of the most important music festival in history, attended by over half a million people, united in a message of peace, love, openness and cultural expression



Santana performing at Woodstock: Carlos Santana has written the forward for Wolman’s photography book entitled Woodstock



Rolling Stone magazine¿s first photographer Baron Wolman was sent to Max Yasgur’s farm in the Catskills, upstate New York, to cover the festival and now 45 years later he has released a book featuring previously unreleased photographs of the era-defining event



‘No one could have predicted the enduring influence of the Woodstock experience,’ said Wolman, now 76.


‘Yes, the bands were first rate and there were many of them. And the setting … was picture perfect and tranquil, a bucolic setting for relaxing with friends and listening to music and getting high. But in unexpected ways, Woodstock became more than a concert for all of us.’


Although assigned with a brief to photograph what was happening on stage, Wolman found himself more inspired by the crowds of hippies than the performers.


‘I ended up spending most of my time out in the wild with the crowd because what was happening “out there” was just too interesting not to explore.’


The book features a QA with photographer Baron Wolman and Woodstock creator Michael Lang who share their personal experiences of Woodstock



American impresario and rock concert promoter Bill Graham pictured onstage behind some speakers at Woodstock



Although assigned with a brief to photograph what was happening on stage, Wolman found himself more inspired by the crowds of hippies than the performers



‘I ended up spending most of my time out in the wild with the crowd because what was happening “out there” was just too interesting not to explore,’ said Wolman



During the sometimes rainy weekend, 32 acts performed outdoors before an audience of over 500,000 young people at Max Yasgur’s 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills



The influx of attendees to the rural concert site in Bethel created a massive traffic jam



More interested in the crowd than the performers, his photographs are hugely evocative and offer an insight into this legendary event that is rarely seen.


‘The thing to remember about the 1960s, even near the end in ‘69 was that everything was totally different, the behavior was new and unexpected.


‘Plus, the 1960s were simply wildly photogenic in every way imaginable … the changes that were taking place in the heads of the people were visually manifested. I mean, how could you not take pictures?’


Released to commemorate the 45th anniversary, Woodstock features Wolman’s stunning black and white photographs, the majority of which are published for the first time.


The images perfectly capture the zeitgeist, the music, the drugs, the people, the sheer hedonism; the enduring legacy of the most famous festival ever. 


Released to commemorate the 45th anniversary, Woodstock features Wolman’s stunning black and white photographs, the majority of which are published for the first time



The images perfectly capture the zeitgeist, the music, the drugs, the people, the sheer hedonism; the enduring legacy of the most famous festival ever



More interested in the crowd than the performers, his photographs are hugely evocative and offer an insight into this legendary event that is rarely seen



The event was captured in the 1970 documentary movie Woodstock, an accompanying soundtrack album, and Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock, which commemorated the event and became a major hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash Young



The book also features a foreword by musician Carlos Santana and a QA with Wolman and Woodstock creator, Michael Lang, who share their personal experiences of Woodstock.


Also included is Wolman’s contact sheets in their entirety, including outtakes.


‘It is a rare and fascinating treat when photographers allow us to see their contact sheets,’ said contributor Dave Brolan.


‘What is remarkable about this selection of contact sheets is that almost every frame is as good as the next, and we get to see Woodstock exactly as Baron saw it, every single unbelievable moment.’


Wolman began the music phase of his photographic career in 1967, as the very first photographer for the new Rolling Stone magazine.


He went on to capture the 60s pop rock explosion, including: Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan amongst many more.


‘I see myself as a kind of voyeur … I’m happiest when I’m invisible and watching. … I’m a chameleon and can adapt myself to the situation, and that, to me, is one of the gifts that I was given naturally, and that’s how you get honest pictures.’


Woodstock by Baron Wolman is published by Reel Art Press and includes Wolman’s contact sheets in their entirety, including outtakes



‘The 1960s were simply wildly photogenic in every way imaginable,’ said Woodstock photographer Baron Wolman






Comments (124)


Share what you think


The comments below have not been moderated.




bearister,


oakland, United States,


22 minutes ago


Alvin Lee and Ten Years After really cooked hard at Woodstock. Check out his performance on YouTube. The man was “en fuego!” that night.




southern girl,


memphis,


33 minutes ago


I REMEMBER WATCHING ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS AND I CAN STILL SEE THE BEWILDERED EXPRESSIONS ON MOM AND DAD’S FACE




ShepherdsBush,


OxBox, United States,


33 minutes ago


Cool photos, much better than any “music” festivals today.




Prudence,


San Francisco, United States,


44 minutes ago


Now referred to as Burning Man.




Max,


Chicago,


1 hour ago


I’ll bet the stench was unbearable.




Robert,


Atlanta,


1 hour ago


And those are the people that grew up and ruined America in lots of ways, not the least of which was their take over of the education system.




Alan G,


BRONX, United States,


1 hour ago


How can you describe to someone who has been blind since birth what a work of art looks like? You can’t. Woodstock falls into the same category. There is a mystic (pronounced mys-teek) that surrounds the life altering event that can’t be put into words. The fact is, you just had to be THERE and that’s something that is indescribable.




Dave,


Los Angeles, United States,


32 minutes ago


Do you mean mystique?




Red,


Texas, United States,


1 hour ago


what with all the stinkin hippie stories and photos lately?




Henry Noel,


Dover_Kent, United States,


1 hour ago


The zenith of Western Civilization.




Supabum,


Last cardboard box on the left, United States,


1 hour ago


I was born at Woodstock!



The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.



Who is this week’s top commenter?

Find out now


http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/meet-imaxs-new-3d-digital-camera-used-on-tf4-in-new-featurette/


Woodstock 45 years on... Previously unseen photos from the most famous music ...
No comments :

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Categories