The California Historical Society (CHS) is pleased to launch this new public history website dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love! The site launches today to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Human Be-In, the event that launched the Summer of Love by helping broadcast California’s counterculture—then primarily concentrated in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood—around the country and the World. The event, which drew tens of thousands of young people to Golden Gate Park on a beautiful January day in 1967, remains one of the most significant moments in California history in the 20th Century.
On this site, you will find historical essays on the Summer of Love, including the events that led to it. You will also find personal perspectives on the Summer of Love, by musicians, artists, historians, businessmen and women, and people who were part of it or continue to be impacted by it. The site also contains event listings of the exhibitions, concerts, programs, and other events that more than 50 cultural organizations throughout California will holding in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the events in 1967. A news section will contain press releases, event announcements and other breaking news items.
This site will continue to grow in the weeks and months to come. New content, new perspectives and new events will be added often. We encourage to visit the site regularly and share the content with your friends, family, and network. Most importantly, if there is information that you want to see on the site, please let us know! We want your perspectives on the Summer of Love! Do you have pictures of the period, reflections to share, memories to document? WE WANT THEM! Email them to us at info@summerof.love.
We also encourage you visit other important sites dedicated to the 50th Anniversary. These include:
- http://www.summeroflove2017.com
- http://itsyourdistrict.org/celebration-of-love
- http://www.nowsharelove.org
Fifty years later, the world continues to try to make sense of what happened in San Francisco (and California) during the late Winter, Spring and Summer of 1967. We hope this public history site and all of the groups and people that are part of it can help you understand why that period was so important then, and why it is so relevant today, 50 years later.
Please explore the site and let us know what you think!
Peace & Love,
California Historical Society