10. The Second Earth Day

Photo by Jeff Rothstein

In the final years of the hippie movement in America, New York became one of the last places of radical protest and social deviance for hippies. This picture, captured in 1971 at the second Earth Day celebration held in Central Park near Bethesda Fountain, shows a young woman digging dirt amongst her fellow Earth Day celebrators. “These were the waning days of hippiedom and the weekends were jammed with freaks,” said Rothstein, adding, “and I use that term with all due respect, as I considered myself one of them—well, in appearance, anyway.”

Although many of these people and places no longer exist in New York, their legacy and spirit still lives on into the future. As New York’s neighborhoods and businesses continue to evolve, New Yorkers and tourists alike continue to change the atmosphere of the city in new and different ways. For more information on Jeff Rothstein’s work, visit his website here. Additionally, his book Today’s Special: New York City Images 1969-2006 is available for purchase at the Strand Bookstore and his website.

Next check out New Book Documents The Rise and Tragic Fall of NYC’s Original Penn Station and The Cat Men of Gotham is a New Book of Unbelievably True Feline Tales in Old NYC