90s | Huck
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90s

Black and white close-up of a shirtless man lying down, city skyline visible behind him, other figures partially visible nearby.

Cruising on the West Side Piers, New York’s wild side

West Side Highway — In the late 20th century, the area was an if-you-know-you-know hotspot for the city’s gay scene. William Howell’s new photobook immortalises it.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
© Alan Lodge

Joyous photos from the heart of the UK’s radical free festival movement

Common Grounds — The photographer has been capturing British counterculture for the past half century. A new exhibition looks at his archive sitting at the intersection of music, community and grassroots protest.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
© Melissa Auf der Maur

Inside the grunge golden age with Hole’s former bassist

My ’90s Rock Photographs — Melissa Auf der Maur’s new photobook is a sprawling visual memoir of her time at the heart of the US scene, from Tinker to The Smashing Pumpkins.

  • Music
  • Miss Rosen
“It’s been hard Anthony. I’ve a photo of you three together, and it’s not being disrespectful for you, you’re on t’ end, and I bent it over because it upset me that much I couldn’t look at that photo. And it’s the only photo I’ve got of you. Even now the photograph does upset me because it brings back awful memories of what your dad did to us. I mean I’m not ashamed of the photo.

Nick Danziger’s striking vision of everyday British life in the ’90s

The British 1994-1999 — The renowned photojournalist returned to his birth country on the cusp of the Millennium, capturing its contradictions with humour and wit.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen

Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene

Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.

  • Culture
  • Samuel White
© Joan Piekny

Vintage photos of London street life at the turn of the millennium

London 1995-2005 — In her new photobook, Joan Piekny reflects on a decade shooting the styles and subcultures of the UK capital’s streets, just before technology .

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen

Inside the UK’s amateur robot wars scene

Bot Builders — Decades after the sport’s ’90s television heyday, a community of enthusiasts are continuing the craft of building extravagant machines for duelling. Juliet Nottingham attends a Bristol competition to witness the damage, destruction and intricately engineered fighters.

  • Sport
  • Juliet Nottingham
© Wig Worland

In photos: The gritty golden age of the UK’s skateboarding scene

Elsewhere — A new book from Science Vs. Life founder Neil Macdonald explores the characters, photographs and ephemera that defined the sport in the ’80s and ’90s, just before the internet and commercialisation changed it forever.

  • Sport
  • Isaac Muk

Capturing the spirit of the ’90s surf scene with Volcom

Nineteen 90 Nowhere — The brand’s latest Featured Artist Series collection sees them tap three surfers and artists in Gony Zubizarretta, Seth Conboy and Issam Auptel, whose neo-grunge work blends the rawness of the decade with the present.

  • Sport
  • Isaac Muk
© Elaine Constantine

In photos: The colourful, foreboding techno-optimism of the ’90s

A Visual History — Henry Carroll’s new book traces the roots of unfettered, present-day neoliberalism through images from the 20th century’s final decade, raising questions about how we arrived at where we are today.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Man in white shirt and beige trousers standing on promenade beside large grey sculpture, with buildings and blue sky behind.

Brick rattling memories of San Francisco’s skateboarding golden age

EPICENTER — In the early ’90s, the city’s scene revolved around the Embarcadero Plaza, or EMB as it was lovingly known. Now, with the area facing redevelopment, a new book by Jacob Rosenberg immortalises its heyday.

  • Sport
  • Isaac Muk
Black and white image of young man in light shirt against wall with "NO GANJA SMOKING" text and posted notices visible.
© David Corio

One night in a Jamaican dubplate studio during dancehall’s ’90s heyday

Arrows Studio Kingston — While covering a reggae festival in the country’s capital, music photographer David Corio headed to the East Kingston neighbourhood in search of a studio that was hot at the time, managing to capture its distinctive energy in a rapid-fire shoot.

  • Music
  • Miss Rosen

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