Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman's photos of Woodstock

It’s not a revelation that festivals of today are not what they used to be. Flower garlands have been replaced with plastic ones that you can buy at Topshop, barely adolescent bands mime where once musicians gave career-changing performances and free loving, all-night dancing sun drenched affairs have morphed into a race to see who can snog a semi-famous TV presenter first. We’re not bitter about it though, especially not when we’ve got photographs like this to remind us of the golden age.

Baron Wolman was a photographer at Rolling Stone who was sent to festivals and gigs to photographs the musicians on stage. At Woodstock in 1969 though he took as many pictures of the festival-goers around him as he did performances, and these are the photos that have come to be remembered as epitomising that legendary event. From swimming naked in the river to hanging from the rigging to get a better view of the stage, Baron’s shots are a tender souvenir of an unreachable time.

Woodstock will run until 8 July at Forge & Co., London. The publication of Woodstock by Baron Wolman is published by Reel Art Press