Disco

Stunning photography by Bill Bernstein. These previously unpublished photographs document the origins of disco as an underground movement in the clubs in and around Manhattan, before the celebrities took over, and the establishment of disco as a mainstream movement. "Had I been suddenly transported back to a pre-war Berlin cabaret? Who were these people of the night... ? It was the Posers. The Watchers. The Posers watching other Posers watching the Watchers, watching the Dancers, watching themselves." Bernstein's eye was drawn to the unknown men and women who were transformed by the nightclub haze, and this is one reason his photographs from this time feel so authentic and immersive. As James Hillard writes in his foreword, "These shots capture the very essence of what going out was, is, and should be, all about. They showed the true democracy of the dance floor where anyone could be a star, as long as they had the right attitude and flair..." The pictures in this book are a document of an incredibly exciting and creative time, not only in music, but also in social, political and fashion history too. All the photographs in the book were shot by Bernstein in 1979. A pivotal year for disco, it saw its popularity and reputation blow up around the world. Manhattan was the epicenter of the movement. And Bill Bernstein captured it all.