Another retrospective look at popular culture:
In a new book called Malls Across America, photos taken during the 1980s reveal how little has changed in the esthetic of these shopping meccas – although the fashion and hairstyles of shoppers tell a different story.
Photographer Michael Galinsky was just 20 when he began driving across the country in 1989, capturing these pictures from shopping malls in different states for a college art project.
.
‘This was pre-Internet, pre-cellphone, there was smoking in malls, it was before the Gulf War. It was this weird moment in time where things were getting ready to change,’ said Mr Galinsky
.
Malls are private property. Use of cameras by visitors is usually forbidden. Though often that rule is not clear until you get your camera out and “security” intervenes.
That was probably true in the 1980s too but not nearly as officiously as now.
But Stephen, today every electronic gadget on earth seems to contain a camera and a certain demographic can barely go 5 minutes without yielding to the urge to snap another picture of their friends/food/shoes/whatever. I don’t see mall security people confiscating piles of smartphones and doing so would really hurt business for any mall that did.