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Remembering Woodstock

Woodstock Dream book cover

August 2019

They say, "If you remember Woodstock, you weren't there."  Thanks to the magic of print, however, Woodstock remains accessible to us all on its 50th anniversary, which was commemorated by the Library's August 2019 exhibit.

 

Woodstock exhibit - display case 1

The legendary music and arts festival was held August 15-18, 1969 in Bethel, New York.  It was billed as "AN AQUARIAN EXPOSITION IN WHITE LAKE, NY: 3 DAYS OF PEACE & MUSIC."  The original poster boasted of an art show, crafts bazaar, food, and hundreds of acres to roam on.

Woodstock exhibit - display case 2


Performing artists included the cream of the musical crop: Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Santana, Janis Joplin, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Joe Cocker, The Band, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and Jimi Hendrix.

Woodstock exhibit - display case 3

Here at the New York State Library, there are plenty of books and periodicals about the show, the bands, the culture, and the aftermath.  They include biographies, photo books, and academic works.  Tune in, turn on, and check one out today.

Related Resource

The New York State Archives' online exhibit, "The Woodstock Festival, August 15th - 18th 1969 -- "An Aquarian Exposition," features documents from the NYS Department of Health Commissioner's Office that look at another aspect of this historical event, documenting state government's response to the health and sanitation services provided at the Woodstock. In the aftermath of an event that had anticipated 50,000 people daily and instead saw 400,000, state officials examined the delivery of services during the festival, analyzed how the activities were handled, and eventually issued revised health and safety standards.

 

Bibliography

Baez, Joan.  And a Voice to Sing With. New York, New York: Summit, 1987.
NYSL Call Number:  C 784.4924, B142, 87-035431.

Baez, Joan.  Daybreak.  New York, New York: Ryerson, 1964.
NYSL Call Number:  C 781.62026, qB142, 216-2900.

Baez, Joan.  Songbook.  New York, New York: Dial, 1968. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 780.92, B142b14.

Casale, Anthony, and Lerman, Philip.  Where Have All the Flowers Gone?  New York, New York: Andrews and McMeel, 1989.  NYSL Call Number:  C 306.0909046, C334, 89-37210.

Eichenstein, Rosalind.  Effect of the Counterculture of the Sixties in Woodstock, New York.  Author, 1987. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 306.1097473, E34, 88-55001.

Hadju, David.  Positively 4th Street.  New York, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 782.42162, B142, 201-5964.

Harrison, Hank.  The Dead Volume I and II.  San Francisco, California: Archives, 1991. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 782.42164, H386, 217-2944.

Havens, Richie.  They Can't Hide Us Anymore.  New York, New York: Avon, 2000. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 782.42164, H386, 217-2944.

Hedgepeth, William.  The Alternative.  New York, New York: MacMillan, 1970. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 335.973, qH453.

Hoffman, Abbie.  Woodstock Nation.  New York, New York: Random House, 1969. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 323.2, H699.

Hopkins, Jerry.  Festival!  New York, New York: MacMillan, 1970. 
NYSL Call Number:  Z 780, qH794.

Landy, Elliott.  Woodstock Dream.  Kempen, Germany: teNeues, 2000. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 770.92, L264, 204-9398.

McKeen, William.  Rock and Roll is Here to Stay.  New York, New York: Norton, 2000. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 781.66, R682, 201-8589.

Nite, Norm.  Rock on Almanac.  New York, New York: Harper and Row, 1989. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 781.6609, qN728, 89-44655.

Palmer, Tony.  All You Need is Love.  New York, New York: Viking, 1976. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 781.63, qP176, 216-2919.

Schiller, David.  Guitar.  New York, New York: Workman, 2008. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 787.87192, S334, 208-4706.

Shankar, Ravi.  My Music, My Life.  New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968. 
NYSL Call Number:  C 781.754, qS528.

Walker, Cummings, ed.  The Great Poster Trip.  Coyne & Blanchard, 1968. 
NYSL Call Number: C 741.67, qW177.

Waksman, Steve.  Instrument of Desire.  Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard, 1999. 
NYSL Call Number: C 787.8719, W149.

Weiner, Rex, and Stillman, Deanna.  Woodstock Census.  New York, New York: Viking, 1979. 
NYSL Call Number: C 301.4315097, W423, 80-27852.


part of a Grateful Dead band poster

Exhibit curated by Michael Meyer

Last Updated: November 2, 2021