Woodstock, before the music began
Elliott
Landy
About this photograph :
Woodstock, before the music began
Woodstock was both a music festival and an emblematic gathering of the hippie culture in the 1960s. Planned to take place from 15th to 17th August 1969 and welcome 50,000 spectators, there were more than half a million people in the end, and it continued for an extra day, until the morning of 18th August 1969. Whilst the Vietnam War was raging, the hippie movement was a counterculture trend. In revolt against patriarchy, consumer society and a traditional way of life, this movement had a major cultural influence notably in the world of music.
About the artist :
Elliott
Landy
Aged just 26 years old, Elliott Landy was the official photographer at Woodstock (1969). He dedicated himself to photography when he realised that there were only two things that he enjoyed in life: girls and taking photos. In the full swing of the Sixties, he photographed civil rights demonstrations and peace rallies. Whilst the official press hesitated to show these shots, Landy offered them for free to the New York underground press.
His press pass not only gave him access to the political scene but also gave him personal access to the new hippie counterculture music scene. The Sixties generation wanted to change the world and the musicians were regarded as leaders. Of that period, Landy said: “The philosophy at the time was to do what satisfied our greatest desires whilst trying to make the world a better place.”
Elliott Landy’s photographs of Woodstock reflected his deepest personal beliefs: moments of shared awareness coupled with the power of music to liberate the soul. He also had covers of the Rolling Stones and Life magazines to his credit, as well as the Saturday Evening Post. Some of the best-known musical albums of the period were also illustrated by Elliott Landy.
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See section on Elliott Landy - 6 photograph(s)