Newseum Commemorates Woodstock Anniversary with Look Back at Rock Journalism

The 40th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock festival at Yasgur's Farm has brought a number of varied commemorations, from a feature film to a box set to rumblings of a Woodstock 2009 concert. Now, the Newseum in Washington, D.C. will add its unique perspective to the mix, using the anniversary not only to display artifacts and rare film footage, but also to chronicle the role of the press and the development of music journalism.

The recently renovated, state-of-the-art Newseum opened "Woodstock at 40: The Rise of Music Journalism" on Saturday, Aug. 1. The exhibit runs until Oct. 31.

According to the Newseum's website, the artifacts include rare photos and images, accompanied by stories from the photojournalists who were there, as well as press passes, tickets, original posters from festival organizer Michael Lang's personal collection, and the authentic list of participating musicians and how much they were paid. The material runs the gamut, from the memorabilia, photos and original reporter's notes of Dan Garson, who scored a press pass to the concert as a reporter for his high school newspaper, to those of Henry Diltz, the official Woodstock photographer hired by Lang.

The Newseum will also show rare footage of the performances and the scene compiled into a film about the development of music journalism. The film, Woodstock, will be shown on the facility's 90-foot screen.

Admission to the Newseum is $20 for adults, $13 for kids ages 7-18, and free for kids six and under. The exhibit is free for annual Press Pass members.

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