On Saturday, April 13th 2024, Uncle Sam's Vintage Clothing Shop in Bristol celebrated its 40th birthday in style at the venue Strange Brew in the centre of town. The shop, a beloved fixture of the West Country city’s alternative fashion scene for four decades, marked the milestone with a lively, nostalgic party. Vintage clothes from the shop were on sale, as the DJs warmed up the crowd with a selection of classic tracks from the '70s, '80s, and '90s before three live rock bands, Peach, Repoman, and The 45s took to the stage to wow the crowds.

I had the privilege of being part of the event, having exhibited my photos from the Losing Eldorado series at Uncle Sam’s since last year. I was thrilled to be invited to showcase more of my work and to set up a small table selling copies of my nonfiction book and photobook, Losing Eldorado. As I arranged my display, I found myself next to the stall of Rudi and Lenny from Rudis Records, and we quickly bonded over our shared passion for 70s jazz rock behemoths Steely Dan.

It was a perfect night to celebrate the enduring influence of Uncle Sam's Vintage on Bristol's fashion and music culture, bringing together loyal customers, vintage enthusiasts, and new fans.