A series of iconic pictures taken by photographer Baron Wolman at Woodstock have been unveiled nearly half a century after the festival took place. The Woodstock Years retrospective at the Mr Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles features highlights from the Rolling Stone photographer's archive. The exhibition features a stylized photo of legendary rock 'groupie' Pamela Des Barres whose sexual partners are thought to include Mick Jagger, Keith Moon and even Woody Allen. One of Wolman's most powerful photos, simply called '300,000 Strong', shows a sea of rockers stretching as far as the horizon at Woodstock 1969.
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A series of iconic pictures taken by legendary photographer Baron Wolman at Woodstock have been unveiled nearly half a century after the festival took place. These include the iconic 300,000 Strong
Baron said that we are now 'far from the dream of Woodstock', describing the festival as a 'stand out movement'. 'I remember standing on the stage there was a sea of people and I had never seen so many people at that time, yet there was no violence, everyone was helping each other, sharing their food because of the shortage,' he said. 'We are so far from the dream of Woodstock which was peace, love and music. We'd been preaching that dream for so long and when we came together, we thought it would keep going, but human nature came and intervened. 'Now we see such a dramatic contrast in the world. People say that we remember wrong [because] it's become mythical but it was justified.' He also recalled how no one in the 300,000 crowd wore branded clothing or got into fights
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Baron said that we are now 'far from the dream of Woodstock', describing the festival as a 'stand out movement'. Pictured is On the Road to Woodstock
Other photos showed signs pointing music lovers to the 'groovy way' - as if they didn't know already - and a sign which read: 'Love your animal friends don't eat them'
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He said he worked with the gallery owner to choose the most iconic photographs for the exhibition. Pictured are festival-goers bathing at Woodstock
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A group of visitors lean on the cars to rest at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969
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Rock band Santana were photographed on stage by Wolman at Woodstock, Bethel, in 1969
Speaking about the retrospective, he said: 'There was a lot of pictures to go through, but I worked with the gallery owner and chose the most iconic. 'Together it's very impressive. There was no internet, no video, no YouTube. It was up to us, the photographers, to reflect what those concerts were like. 'I would try to take individual photos that were so provocative the viewer could imagine being in front of that particular musician.' Wolman became Rolling Stone Magazine's first staff photographer in 1967. Over the next 30 years he would go on to shoot some of the greatest music legends, including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Santana, Iggy Pop, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison. He added: 'Jimi Hendrix was my favourite because you couldn't take a bad photo.
Jimi Hendrix was photographed playing Star Spangled Banner by Wolman. He says he wanted to take 'provocative' photographs that would allow the viewer to imagine being in front of the musician
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George Harrison was also photographed by Wolman, who became became Rolling Stone's first staff photographer in 1967
Mick Jagger is pictured at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1969 (left); Wolman at Woodstock in 1969 (right)
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The Woodstock Years retrospective, which is running at the Mr Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles, will feature highlights from the Rolling Stone photographer's archive - including an unseen shot of Janis Joplin taken in 1968 (above)
'When he was paying, he was extraordinary. When he was walking, he was extraordinary, even when he was sitting down alone. There was all this energy.' Baron says a career highlight was photographing Janis Joplin and getting a personal performance. He said: 'I'd been hired to shoot for a magazine and they needed a colour photograph of her performing. 'We didn't have any, so I called her and she came to my studio. 'At first she was just lip singing but that wasn't good for her. In the end she sang for a whole hour for me - she was unbelievable.' Baron Wolman: The Woodstock Years is on at the Mr Musichead Gallery until September 6
