Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Tompkins Square Park, June 1, 1967 — 'Hippie Heaven'


Original caption: "Hippie Heaven. New York: Hippie heaven is in Tompkins Square Park June 1 where a couple of the clan dance and play music in the sunshine, The park, which was the scene of a bloody melee late May 30 when 200 hippies refused police orders to stay away from the park's grassy sections, played host to the hippie's once again as the biggest outpouring of New York's dropout generation converged here to show police they cannot be intimidated."

IMAGE:
© Bettmann/CORBIS
DATE PHOTOGRAPHED
June 01, 1967

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn Hippies.

Adam Rabasca said...

It would appear that were this photo colorized, it could appear oddly modern with hipster and hippie fashion trends alike.

Laura Goggin Photography said...

I agree with Adam - could be the scene today. And we still can't be intimidated!

Mykola ( Mick) Dementiuk said...

I remember the Grateful Dead playing and the crowds couldn't go on the grass a few days later hippies went where they wanted. I think Keep Off The Grass lasted only a day or so. We hippies thought the signs were funny anyway.

Lisa said...

Sobering to think those kids are in their mid-sixties today...

Anonymous said...

Like at the original Woodstock, obesity wasn't the norm.

Anonymous said...

Seems a bit off to compare Hippies to todays Hipsters. Hippies actually had a set of common values and were not afraid to take a stand or protest for something they believed in. Todays Hipsters are more concerned with their Drone Phones and where the latest new hot cupcake can be had. We're in three wars since '02 and yet they can't seem to be bothered to protest even the most unjust of them . Compare to Hippies!? Please.

Crazy Eddie said...

We need a loophole free military draft. Once that happens, you will see how fast “hipsters” turn into "hippies”. Peace and love everyone!

shmnyc said...

You know (and I'm not making this up) the gentrification of the Lower East Side began in the 1960s.

Anonymous said...

Next thing the yippies and zippies and the pieman will all be on the chat shows saying they were there first

Anonymous said...

Don't compare Hipsters to Hippies. Please. Hippies actually believed in something.
Hipsters are a bunch of materialistic, self-centered, non-spiritual brats.