The pre-selfie age: How Americans vacationed and partied in the 70s and 80s
The pre-selfie era! Stunning footage shows Americans relaxing on vacation in the 1970s and 1980s when life was ‘a little freer’
- The golden age of beach parties and muscle cars has been brought to life in decades-old snaps
- Photographer Mitch Epstein has re-animated how Americans lived when life was ‘a little freer’
- Questionable window mullions and era-defining wardrobes leave no doubt about the era these snaps illustrate
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Nostalgic photos from the 1970s and 1980s show how Americans celebrated when life was “a little freer.”
In the pre-selfie era, when smartphones were unheard of, families flocked to the country’s hot spots and revelers danced the night away carefree.
And while the beaches were packed with sun-kissed swimmers and the streets roared with muscle cars, photographer Mitch Epstein was on site to capture it all.
The electric pictures, reviving the golden days from every corner of America, can be found in Manhattan’s Yancey Richardson Gallery until April 8.
Sun-kissed beachgoers live in the moment on a beach in Queens, New York, enjoying the blue sky without a smartphone in sight
Classic cars and family road trips have been added to the entire collection as a reminder of how Americans used to enjoy a vacation
For 50 years, Epstein has amassed a huge stash of classic snaps that will transport viewers to a pink age.
His latest exhibition, titled “Recreation,” features detailed color images of celebrations and frivolities from decades past, dating between 1973 and 1988.
Speaking recently about the gallery, Epstein noted that the work “came out of my excitement about photographs, being in the world, in places where people engaged in different types of leisure activities.
The world itself was less self-aware. It was pre-digital… It had something more free.’
Get on the dance floor! Viewers who enjoyed a night out during their heyday in the 1980s can see themselves reflected in the exhibition
A Sign of the Times: Questionable haircuts and funky outfits are on full display in ‘Recreation,’ including this photo of youngsters cramming themselves into an elevator in Dallas
A candid snapshot of acrobats in Santa Monica from more than four decades ago shows how Americans had fun without technology
The energetic photos capture the essence of the ‘Age of Greed’, when mullet and cold beer were everywhere you went.
But while many of the photos depict lively nights on the town, Epstein’s poignant work captures more than just fun.
In a particularly moving photo taken from the streets of New York, U.S. Army veterans in a Vietnam War parade are daubed in uniform surrounded by their comrades-in-arms.
Binocular tourists in Montana’s Glacier National Park and camper-driving families are also on hand to remind us of how Americans used to let their hair down.
One of the few photographers to work with color in the 1970s, Epstein’s highly saturated palette reanimates time in ways not normally seen.
As a student at Cooper Union in New York City, Epstein’s professor, influential photographer Garry Winogrand told him, “Put color film in the camera.” Forget the fact that you have color.’
Epstein recalled the advice, adding, “It became part of my language.” The world is in color, so why not shoot in color? It really was that simple.’
There’s more to Epstein’s work than just vacations and sunny days — including this poignant photo of U.S. Army veterans in a Vietnam War parade in New York City, in uniform surrounded by their comrades-in-arms
Iconic American family life, complete with era-defining wardrobes and pre-tech appliances, are on full display at the exhibit
Binocular tourists studying mountainous vistas in Glacier National Park, Montana, offer the archetypal throwback to the American holiday