Haight-Ashbury

[gwebster]

This year, it will have been exactly 40 years since the famous "Summer of Love"

that was widely viewed as a landmark moment for the generation that participated

in the hippie counter-culture movement of the 1960s. In this 40th anniversary

year, it was very interesting for me to have the opportunity to visit the

Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco that was considered to be the

epicenter of this movement. Amazingly (to me at least) it is still populated

with a lot of people that to all appearances look as if the 60s never ended.

There is also a much younger generation in Haight-Ashbury who could not even

have been born in 1968, but who seem to have been drawn there in search of a

former generation's dream that they could only have experienced as history,

through books, movies or TV.

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When I was working with this picture of the young sitar player busking on Haight

Street, it seemed to me that it could easily have been taken forty years ago,

although this image belies my gut feeling that Haight-Ashbury seems much less

care-free and innocent in 2008 than it was portrayed to have been in 1968.

Perhaps though, this too is a myth. Although I was still in elementary school on

the other side of the Atlantic at that time and have only my impressions of the

60s Haight-Ashbury from books and the media to rely upon, the streets seemed

tougher, the drugs harder and the atmosphere less spontaneous than the

Haight-Ashbury of its heyday - perhaps as a result of the place not only trying

to hold on to its past glories but even to repackage them for the throngs of

curious tourists, in the form of the fancy boutiques and vintage clothing stores

that line Haight Street.

<p>

In any case, it was fascinating for me to finally see the place that figured so

largely in the cultural history of the U.S. in the 1960s and I hope you enjoy

the picture.

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<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7195461-lg.jpg">

<p>

[clay2]

Excellent Shot! I was 25 in 1968, a tad old for a hippie, but did

hang out in Yorkville Villiage in Toronto Canada. Got to Haight-Ashbury in 1981 at last. Got shots similiar to yours. Doubt it will

ever change much as long as there are young people to gather.

/Clay

[michael s.]

Not having seen the Haight until the mid 70's, and then for only a quick look, I don't have a personal basis for comparison. And I've never spent enough time there to say I 'got a feel' for the place. But we did get there briefly last summer, and I was amused at some of what I saw.<p>

 

<center><a href=" title=". by sandbagm, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/881877504_a6c7a82bc6_o.jpg" width="760" height="581" alt="." /></a></center>

[Spearhead]

Last year was the 40th anniversary, we even had the 40th anniversary festival last year. The Haight went through a bad patch not that long after 1967, there's quite a bit written about this. It quickly lost the feeling of "love," with a lot of drug and crime problems as opportunists move in to take advantage of the people who were there. These days, it's a mixed bag. There's a lot of people on the street who really need help, and there's a lot of tourists, and there's quite a few locals who enjoy being there.

<p>

The Haight Street Fair is the longest running street fair in San Francisco and will take place on June 8 this year. It's a bit mellower and more kid-friendly since last year when they stopped drinking at the fair. We get a huge crowd and have great music, so it's worth stopping by. <p><center><img src="http://www.spirer.com/galaxxyhaight/images/20070610_4230.jpg"><br><i>Galaxxy Chamber at the Haight Street Fair, Copyright 2007 Jeff Spirer</i></center>

[gwebster]

My apologies - Jeff is correct ... 1967 was the Summer of Love, 68 was the French protests, 69 was Woodstock - it's little wonder I'm always crap at Trivial Pursuit!

[Spearhead]

It's all one big blend after enough years. I like the puppet show and girl with umbrella shots in the same series.

 

It's interesting to look and figure out where the out-of-place pieces are. In 1968, I don't think boots had those kinds of soles, I wasn't around, but I think the license plates were different. Good job with the cars, it's hard to tell they are modern.

[Uhooru]

And I visited there as a 15 year old and 16 year old in Summer 1966 and 67 and it was a pretty happy place. I was only there for a couple of days each time, but it was a rock'n place and the "vibes" were great.

[spanky]

June 8 huh? When I as in SF last month I remember walking to SFMOMA thinking how fun it would be to do some shooting, maybe I can swing by there for this fair.

[terry_m1]

Over 300 photographs of the Haight-Ashbury location are at the following Flickr site. Unfortunately, most are in color and clearly show amateurish capturing results, and most if not all of them were recently captured.

 

[Uhooru]

Like these photos. I had one from there a few years ago but can't find it.

[mjferron]

I once read a comment from a Haight-Ashbury cop who said that the flower children of the era were friendly and peaceful. When the Hippies turned into violent war protesters they lost their very soul IMO. From then on they were no better than what they potested. Sorry for the speach LOL. Cool photos.