Hollywood Acid Test, 1966

Hollywood Acid Test is a landmark photograph taken on February 25, 1966 by Lawrence Schiller. The image documents one of the earliest large-scale psychedelic gatherings in Los Angeles. It captures the visual energy of the acid test movement at its peak.

The acid tests were immersive events built around sensation rather than spectacle. Live music, projected film, experimental lighting, and performance happened at once. Audiences were participants, not observers. Schiller’s photograph reflects this atmosphere. Figures blur and overlap as dancers move through the frame.

Costumed revelers dominate the composition. Feathers, sequins, bold patterns, and saturated colors collide under stage lights. The layered exposure suggests motion and sensory overload. Instead of isolating individuals, the photograph presents the crowd as a single shifting presence. Movement becomes the subject.

Hollywood Acid Test is among Schiller’s most recognized images from his documentation of the LSD scene. Its impact extended beyond photography. The image later appeared on the cover of the Capitol Records LP Hollywood Acid Test, released the same year. That use cemented its place in music and counterculture history.

Schiller’s photograph functions as both record and artifact. It preserves a moment when performance, technology, and experimentation merged. The image captures a collective experience rather than a staged scene.

Hollywood Acid Test remains a defining visual document of 1960s psychedelic culture. It stands as one of the clearest photographic expressions of the movement’s communal spirit. The photograph continues to resonate as a symbol of cultural transformation.