According to Figes, Arlene Gottfried took some of her “first photographs at Woodstock in 1969.” Woodstock was a music festival on a dairy farm that lasted for three days from August 15 to August 18. The audience was about 500,000 strong and mostly consisted of young hippies who protested the Vietnam War and wanted to “spread a message of unity and peace” (History.com Editors, “Woodstock”). Initially, the event was supposed to make money, however, the staff weren’t entirely ready for that amount of people, so the festival goers snuck in through gaps in the fences. Ticket collection was swiftly abandoned due to the large number of people who showed up early. There was bad weather which contributed to muddy conditions, and there was also a lack of food and water so there had to be some flown in (Troutman). Despite the conditions, the general atmosphere was harmonious and community-driven, though different people have different reasons as to why that is. The musical acts consisted of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Richie Havens (History.com Editors, “Woodstock”).

Gottfried, Arlene. “Men Mouth Open, Central Park, NY.” Galerie Bene Taschen, 1970, www.benetaschen.com/artists/artists/gottfried.php#. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.

History.com Editors. “Woodstock.” History.com, A&E Television Network, 21 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/topics/1960s/woodstock. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Troutman, John. “Remembering Woodstock.” Americanhistory.si.edu, 16 Aug. 2019, americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/remembering-woodstock. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.