Rare Photos from Woodstock

Woodstock is one of the most famous music festivals in history. Hundreds of thousands of people came out to Bethel Woods, New York solely through word of mouth and flyers to see legends like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin perform. The crowd was so big that people in the back couldn’t even hear the performers. These rare photos will give you some insight to the legendary festival.

Childlike Fun

Jackie Brag sits on the grass blowing bubbles waiting for the next performer to come on stage.

Festival Food

Festivalgoers shared food with each other and even set up stands to cook food. Since the turn out exceeded what was expected, there was a food shortage for a little while.

Naptime

It was a free for all at Woodstock. With over 500,000, people were doing everything they could to be comfortable. Some people slept on top of their cars because it was too hot to sleep inside of them.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix played an astounding two-hour set that made its way into the history books. He was the last of the 32 performers at the festival and made $18,000 from the performance.

Peace and Love

America was going through a rough time in 1969 during the festival. There was war and protests for peace. This couple, Bobbi Kelly and Nick Ercoline, became icons of Woodstock when this photo was released.

Dancing Queens

Woodstock was all about love and letting go of yourself. “Woodstock was a spark of beauty where half-a-million kids saw that they were part of a greater organism,” Joni Mitchell commented. These ladies let loose and felt the love that weekend.

Janis Joplin

The legendary Janis Joplin was under the impression that Woodstock was just another gig. Never would she have thought she would perform for so many people.

Free Spirituality

People who attended Woodstock were very spiritual. They believed in love and world peace. Some people even came equipped with tarot cards to help people figure out their lives.

Veruschka von Lehndorff

German model and actress, Veruschka von Lehndorff, attended the music festival. She enjoyed the performances and danced like nobody was watching.

All Ages

Woodstock was extremely inclusive and an event for all ages, races, and genders. This little girl enjoyed running around barefoot and listening to the music. She is a true flower child.

Fashion Icons

Tie-dye was all the rage during the 1960’s, so it’s no mystery why clothing with the design was being sold at Woodstock. Everywhere you looked, you would see bright, fun colors.

Groovy Way

it was easy to get lost at Woodstock. The only way to know where you were going was checking out these groovy signs.

Grace Slick

Grace Slick, the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, hung out with his drummer’s wife, Sally Mann, during the festival watching other performers. Mann has fond memories of her time at the festival drinking wine and smoking with strangers.

Music Lovers

There was an overall feeling of unity at Woodstock. Strangers came together and shared food, clothing, and even jammed out together with their instruments when the professionals were performing.

Musical Notes

Musician Tim Hardin performed “If I Were a Carpenter” at Woodstock. He was paid significantly less than other performers at the festival. Here he can be seen taking notes on something. It could be on his lyrics or performance. We’ll never know.

Boho Queen

Festivalgoers were encouraged to dress however they wanted and express themselves. This woman is known as the boho queen of Woodstock with her floppy hat and dramatic eye makeup.

Rain Dance

A group of people summoned the gods and performed a tribal rain dance during the festival. It must have worked because it rained on and off during the weekend.

Playing in the Mud

The rain didn’t scare off too many attendees. These two ring out their blanket and play in the mud.

Happiness for All

This photo perfectly captures the atmosphere of Woodstock. Everyone is happy, energetic, and just glad to be alive. Imagine being in this type of mood for three days straight.

Flower Child

There were plenty of daisies around the festival. They are the ultimate symbol of peace during the hippie movement.

Festival Fashion

Ever wonder where festival fashion originated? Woodstock, of course! Many people wore different styles of clothing that inspires today’s festival wear.

Vans and Buses

There were hundreds of vans and buses decorated with bright colors and peace signs at the festival. It makes sense because it could transport so many people to the festival without worrying about finding parking for everyone.

Candid Models

It’s a blessing that photographers were at Woodstock. We wouldn’t be able to witness this beautiful couple candidly walking through the festival grounds.

Family Affair

People of all ages enjoyed the music festival. This photo was captured by Rolling Stone photographer, Baron Wolman. In fact, Rolling Stone was one of the only magazines allowed into the festival.

Sri Swami Satchidananda

After Richie Havens performed on stage, Indian teacher and spiritualist, Sri Swami Satchidananda gave a moving speech on stage about music being a celestial sound.

Property Owners

Max Yasgur allowed the festival to be held on his 600-acre dairy farm in upstate New York. At one point he came on stage to address the crowd. Unfortunately, some of his neighbors weren’t too happy with his use of the land during the festival.

Genuine Love

You can see how genuinely happy this couple was during the festival. They were truly in love with each other at that time.

Yoga

Yoga sessions were led by Sri Swami Satchidananda took place during the festival to help people meditate and stretch out their muscles.

Farming

Since the festival was held on a dairy farm, it was no surprise to see cows wandering around sometimes. One festivalgoer even milked on fo the cows.

Lost Souls

People did everyone they could to get to Woodstock. Some hitchhiked their way to Bethel while some jumped on top of moving cars.

Overwhelming Numbers

The number of people who showed up was overwhelming. Only 100,000 tickets were sold, but 400,000 people found their way into the festival for free.

Lifting Each Other Up

The stage was difficult to see at times due to such a large crowd. So, it wasn’t uncommon to see people sitting on people’s shoulders to get a glimpse of the performances.

Chicken Coop

Having the festival on a dairy farm definitely added something to it. People could interact with the animals and escape from the music for a little bit to be with nature.

Hippie Style

This woman is the epitome of hippie style with a flower crown and large necklace.

Protesters

The 1960’s was a time of many protests. This festivalgoer decided to bring his protest sign encouraging people to go vegetarian.

Peaceful Jam Session

This man takes a break from the craziness of the festival to sit on some hay and strum his guitar.

Forest Friends

Woodstock was more than just a concert. It was a weekend where people could escape reality and surround themselves with love, acceptance, and unity.

Balancing Act

This guy probably had the best view of the entire music festival. We can only wonder how comfortable he was up there.

Crowd Surfer

Many people decided to have some fun and go crowd surfing during the festival. The whole weekend was like an adult playground without any rules except to just have fun.

Splashing in Puddles

Even though it rained at times during the festival, people made the most of it and even played around in the puddles.

Monkeying Around

It’s safe to say that security was way over their heads when it came to Woodstock. This photo shows group of boys climbing on the stage’s scaffolding hoping to get a better view.

Medical Services

While many of the people at Woodstock were anti-war, the US Army helped out a lot at the festival. They flew in medical supplies, food, and medical professionals to help keep everything running smoothly.