Everyone was family at Woodstock. It was not unusual to see groups of people sitting together in the fields enjoying the music. It did not matter if these people knew each other or came together, they were all family. Adults and children were all welcome.
There were not many publications allowed in the festival to document the event. Rolling Stone magazine was given full access throughout the festival, and they were one of the only people to get that clearance. This photograph was taken by Baron Wolman, who was a photographer at Rolling Stone. Since it was such a popular magazine, it was easy for him to get snaps like this, as people were eager to be photographed by the magazine.
Psychedelic Vans
The number of people, along with the extreme heat and rain, made the conditions unfavorable for the festival goers. Beating the heat and sleeping outside on top of their vans seemed like the best option for these Woodstock attendees.
This photograph documents an incredible moment in Woodstock's history. People literally had to camp out on top of and inside of their vehicles. They never anticipated the number of people that actually attended. Traffic was literally at a standstill, there was a point where you could not get in or out of the festival. Additionally, the crowds made the 3-day festival drag on to last for 4 days.
Picture Perfect
Despite all of the incredible performances happening at Woodstock, photographers were also able to photograph many special moments between people in the audience.
This couple is fashion at its finest. The guy pictured is showing a minimal take on Woodstock fashion, wearing only denim cut-offs. He styled his hair into an Afro, which was extremely common around the festival. The woman pictured has her icy blonde hair parted right in the middle and styled with a slight wave, which is likely from all of the rain they experienced. Her dress is long and flowy, in perfect Bohemian fashion. The fringe detail on the bottom is a lovely touch.
A Celestial Sound
The kickoff to the Woodstock Festival was just as amazing as the festival itself. First, Richie Havens performed. This was then followed by an incredible speech by Sri Swami Satchidananda. He shared an uplifting and inspiring message with the group.
“My Beloved Brothers and Sisters, we can just feel the vibes. Music is a celestial sound, and it is the sound that controls the whole universe, not atomic vibrations. Sound energy, sound power, is much, much greater than any other power in this world. And, one thing I would very much wish you all to remember is that with sound, we can make—and at the same time, break.”
The Faces Behind the Magic
Woodstock took place in New York State. However, it was not actually in the town of Woodstock. It was held in a town called Bethel. The reason why it was called Woodstock was not because of the location, but because the people who financed the festival were from a company by the name of Woodstock ventures.
The place where the festival actually took place was a dairy farm owned by Max Yasgur. He was a farmer who graciously allowed Woodstock Ventures to put on the festival on his land. Sadly, he got a lot of pushback from the community about his graciousness. People in his neighborhood went as far as to sue him. He died in 1973, shortly after Woodstock.