Burning Man

Burning Man Project is the nonprofit that brings more joy, awe, and connection to the world.

A chronological documentary of 4,105 moments on Loreline.

last updated 2026-07-22

1. 1986-06-22 — IMG_3960
2. 1986-06-22 — BM+86
3. 1986-06-22 — Burning Man 1986 at Baker Beach. Videos from the first Burning Man gathering on the day of the summer solstice. At Baker Beach in San Francisco.
4. 1987-06-01 — 1987 Beach Burn Flier with image of 1986 Burn
5. 1987-06-20 — 87_man
6. 1988-06-01 — 88_manposter. Possibly the first documented item where event is named Burning Man. This poster was used to announce event on Baker Beach. Similar to 1987 Flyer, this poster uses a quote from the poem "The Forces That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower" by Dylan Thomas. Photo Edward Ingraham
7. 1988-06-18 — Burning Man 1988 :: Baker Beach, San Francisco. From the Burning Man Archives. 1988. The 3rd Burning Man ever had 200 people on Baker Beach celebrating the Summer Solstice. It was the first year the figure was named the "Burning Man". By 1988 organizers were committing to it fully — building a Man nearly forty feet, and striving to attract an audience beyond their immediate friends. For a deeper look at the history of Burning Man check out the Burning Man Timeline: http://burningman.org/timeline Check out our full video archive: http://youtube.com/burningman Visit the Burning Man website: http://burningman.org Read the Voice of Burning Man blog: http://burningman.org/voices Burning Man on Twitter: http://twitter.com/burningman LIKE Burning Man on Facebook: http://fb.com/burningman Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/burningman Subscribe to the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter: http://burningman.org/jrs
8. 1988-06-18 — 88_man2. "The Man was presoaked with kerosene, his legs and body stuffed with newspaper and wrapper with burlap skin, also all soaked with kerosene. It was another blustery cold evening, and he was on fire and the burlap and newspapers blew away in ashes, but the Man, through charred, was still standing. That's when the Man had his first encounter with the Man, Jerry recalls ... Larry and I decided to talk to the cops, and after a short negotiation, they agreed to allow us to knock down the Man and finish burning it. We sawed him in half in a few places, threw him in a pile, and finished burning it. "It was obviously an extraordinary thing for the cops. They sure didn't come across that every day. They probably feared we'd start slaughtering goats there on Baker Beach."
9. 1989-06-01 — 89_roughdraft. The June 1989 Cacophony canon, Rough Draft invites you to call for information on the burning of a four story tall wooden man.
10. 1989-06-24 — 89_burn
11. 1989-06-24 — 3834159_orig. Part of the Man arrives on Baker Beach. Photo: Stewart Harvey
12. 1989-06-24 — Burning Man 1989 at Baker Beach
13. 1989-06-24 — 889752
14. 1989-10-17 — 504_bricks. On October 17, 1989 at 5:04 PM, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area and a brick wall collapsed on the rear half of an Olds Cutlass parked by Clayton and Page streets. Michael Mikel saw it there and the creative wheels began to turn. “I bet that will still run”, he mused, and he placed a note on the car offering to buy it.
15. 1990-06-30 — BurningMan1990 Shut Down By the Man. This was the 5th or 6th Burning Man, and possibly the last one attempted at Baker Beach in San Francisco. Law enforcement insisted on seeing a permit for the event, and organizers agreed to postpone the burn. He was lowered down, disassembled and hauled out. The small gathering continued the evening around a smaller bonfire. I think the Man was soon invited by the Cacophony Society to a separate event at Black Rock Desert, NV. I shot this way back then and hadn't bothered to digitize the vintage SD footage until now. Not the most exciting Burning Man event, but maybe you'll see your good looking 1990 selves in here somewhere.
16. 1990-07-09 — The 1st Burning Man. The Burning Man of today evolved originally from an annual art party hosted by Mary Grauberger. Taking place on or around the summer solstice on San Francisco's Baker Beach prior to 1986, the art parties had sculpture burning as a central theme. Then in 1986 Larry Harvey, inspired in part by Mary Grauberger's events, asked his friend Jerry James to help him build an 8' effigy to be burned on Baker beach. This event, unnamed at this point, continued annually until 1990 when, the effigy having grown to 40', the police pulled the plug on the parties climactic burn. Meanwhile, Kevin Evans and John Law, of the Cacophony Society, were planning a similar event called Zone Trip #4 - A Bad Day at Black Rock in Nevada's Black Rock Dessert. Harvey and friends, having nowhere to burn the 40' effigy, joined forces with the Zone Trip #4 group and this was the birth of what we now know as Burning Man. The following clip contains footage of an earlier burn at Baker Beach and also the first burn to take place on the Playa.
17. 1990-09-01 — 1990_flyer. Flyer for Burning Man 1990.
18. 1990-09-02 — 90_roughdraftoffici1171vari_0097. The move to the Black Rock Desert represented an epochal change. Survival camping was a challenge. In a very real sense, everyone perforce was a participant. A pilgrimage was now required to reach the home of Burning Man, and he resided in a consecrated space, a place apart and separate from the ordinary world. The desert had enlarged the scope of human struggle and intensified involvement. It had restored the spirit of Burning Man and the community that had grown around it. Most importantly, beneath its sentinel presence, a city had begun to form.
19. 1990-09-29 — Rough+Draft+-BM+Planning+Party
20. 1990-09-29 — Instructions+for+first+BRC+Burn
21. 1990-09-29 — MV5BYmYzNDcyNmEtNGJhMS00M2Y2LTgxYTEtMzM3NjljNDEyOGFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_
22. 1990-09-29 — Original+Zone+Trip+#4+t-shirt+ad+(Seb+Hyde)
23. 1990-09-29 — bad_day_at_black_rock-Tshirt. The first Burning Man shirt
24. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495905018_o.webp
25. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495903926_o.webp
26. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
27. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904904_o.webp
28. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495903778_o.webp
29. 1990-09-30 — zone trip 1990, Burning Man in the desert.. The San Francisco Cacophony Society zone trip #4, 1990
30. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
31. 1990-09-30 — 1990+The+Line
32. 1990-09-30 — Burningman 1990. My friend Bob G. did this from Super 8 film he shot at the first desert burn. I don't think he's ever put it online in any form, so here it is with his edit and soundtrack. He's in another desert on nearly the exact opposite side of the planet (though still in the northern hemisphere) these days. So here it is, Burningman with one portapotty. Hi Mr. G!
33. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
34. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
35. 1990-09-30 — Screen+Shot+2019-02-25+at+2.13.29+PM
36. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
37. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
38. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
39. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
40. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
41. 1990-09-30 — 1990_kevin. Kevin Evans on the way to Burning Man 1990.
42. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
43. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
44. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
45. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
46. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
47. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
48. 1990-09-30 — 1990_centercamp. Center Camp, Burning Man 1990.
49. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495087375_o.webp
50. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495902548_o.webp
51. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495900460_o.webp
52. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
53. 1990-09-30 — 1990_centercamp2
54. 1990-09-30 — 1990_mobia. Steve Mobia later founded the Lamplighters at Burning Man.
55. 1990-09-30 — 7867431_orig
56. 1990-09-30 — ya-gotta-regatta-1989-windsurfer
57. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
58. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495905952_o (1).webp
59. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904784_o.webp
60. 1990-09-30 — working-at-burning-man-1990_3404975262_o.webp
61. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
62. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495089079_o.webp
63. 1990-09-30 — 1990_miller. David Warren lit the Burning Man in 1990
64. 1990-09-30 — Bizen+00-blue-man-chew. Blue Man Chew by William Binzen. Dan Miller, builder of the Man, sits on his shoulder. Tristan Harvey is seen next, just above his Dan, Larry. John Law is toward the right, in dark ripped jean. To John’s left is Larry’s nephew Jared, and then kneeling is Stewart Harvey. The natural colored wood of the man replaced by Binzen to an iconic blue, and the white playa transformed as well.
65. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495905952_o
66. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495905408_o.webp
67. 1990-09-30 — 1990_johnlaw. John Law
68. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904670_o.webp
69. 1990-09-30 — 1990_cocktail. Burn night cocktail party, 1990.
70. 1990-09-30 — kevins-burning-man-photos_3482187912_o
71. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495086651_o (1).webp
72. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495899998_o.webp
73. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904290_o.webp
74. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495899740_o.webp
75. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495902210_o.webp
76. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495905252_o.webp
77. 1990-09-30 — 90_manstandsup. Kevin Evans - Bringing Burning Man to Black Rock Desert - Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society
78. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495088119_o.webp
79. 1990-09-30 — working-at-burning-man-1990_3404163773_o.webp
80. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495900562_o.webp
81. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495903030_o.webp
82. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495083787_o.webp
83. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495899860_o.webp
84. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495900982_o.webp
85. 1990-09-30 — 90_drums
86. 1990-09-30 — 1990+Drummer+BB&W
87. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495085701_o.webp
88. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495900236_o.webp
89. 1990-09-30 — 90_brokeassstuart_psegal-e1416159022639
90. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495087503_o.webp
91. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495086251_o.webp
92. 1990-09-30 — Burning+Man+1990+_+Stewart+Harvey
93. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495085925_o.webp
94. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1991_3495906462_o.webp
95. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495899654_o.webp
96. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904190_o.webp
97. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495904050_o.webp
98. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495083343_o.webp
99. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495084507_o (1).webp
100. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495086397_o.webp
101. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495903584_o.webp
102. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495903152_o.webp
103. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495084283_o.webp
104. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495902780_o.webp
105. 1990-09-30 — A Burning Man (1990) by Peter Hassan. Peter Hassan's film "A Burning Man", one of the earliest short films on Burning Man. This is the original video transfer, made in 1990. The film was partially remastered in 2002 available here: https://youtu.be/3IpGAvbYSJ0
106. 1990-09-30 — Burning Man (1990). Home video of the 1990 Burning Man Gathering. Film of the 1990 Burning Man gathering. 1990 was the last year at Baker Beach, as well as the first year at Black Rock Desert.
107. 1990-09-30 — 1990 Burn at Black Rock desert - Burning Man 1990. The 1990 Burning Man Burn. The first burn in Black Rock City. The music at the start of the track is a song that was playing on someone's boombox right before the progression to the burn started. Flammo LeGrande (David T. Warren) does his fire breathing routine to start the blaze. He also started the 1989 Man and was on hand at Baker Beach to do the honors before the police shut down the burn.
108. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495901820_o.webp

…3,925 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/burning-man.md

4034. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495902394_o.webp
4035. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495902328_o.webp
4036. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495084907_o.webp
4037. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495083109_o.webp
4038. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495083909_o.webp
4039. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495084713_o.webp
4040. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495900650_o.webp
4041. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495901600_o.webp
4042. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495085015_o.webp
4043. 1990-09-30 — burning-man-1990_3495084179_o.webp
4044. 1990-11-30 — The San Francisco Cacophony Society makes the news. From a VHS tape my brother Brian made from the news in late 1990 or early 1991.
4045. 1991-07-01 — 1991_roughdraft. Rough Draft July 1991 Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert
4046. 1991-08-01 — 1991_bm. Once again, we will accompany the Burning Man into the vast Black Rock Desert of Nevada for an event-filled weekend. In the middle of this barren flat, we will create a temporary community around a 4-story tall wooden man, sheathed in blue neon.
4047. 1991-08-24 — 91_barge. Burning Man is built and installed on a barge which floats between two docks at Fort Mason. John Law creates a neon outline of Burning Man that is installed on the exterior front of the figure's wooden frame.
4048. 1991-08-24 — Burningman At Ft Mason On Barge. Burning Man is built and installed on a barge which floats between two docks at Fort Mason. John Law creates a neon outline of Burning Man that is installed on the exterior front of the figure's wooden frame.
4049. 1991-08-25 — burning-man-1991_3495090009_o.webp
4050. 1991-08-25 — 9946905_orig. 1991 marked the first art car on the playa as well! Danger Ranger, founder of the legendary Black Rock Rangers, took a 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme that had a crushed back end from a brick wall falling on it during the Loma Prieta earthquake, thought, "I bet it that will still run" and bought it. It became a conceptual art piece with a license plate reading 5:04 pm - the exact time the earthquake struck. A testament to the uncontrollable forces of nature.
4051. 1991-08-26 — 90_quote
4052. 1991-08-26 — burning-man-1991_3495090199_o.webp
4053. 1991-08-26 — burning-man-1991_3495905510_o.webp
4054. 1991-08-26 — 91_crimson. Crimson rehearses in 95-degree heat for her much-anticipated pre-burn dance performance.
4055. 1991-08-26 — burning-man-1991_3495905622_o.webp
4056. 1991-08-26 — 504. The 5:04 PM Earthquake Car.
4057. 1991-08-26 — Burning-Man-first-theme-camp-Kevin-Evans-and-Sebastian-Hyde. Kevin Evans and Sebastian Hyde started the first-ever Burning Man theme camp, where they acted like natives from somewhere, made up a language, and bartered with clay money.
4058. 1991-08-26 — Burning Man 1991. 1991 Burn at Black Rock Desert. Includes Cacophony march to the man (following the formal), a brief clip of Crimson Rose and the burn.
4059. 1991-08-27 — Burning Man 1991 :: 2nd Year in the Desert. From the Burning Man Archives. 1991. 2nd year in the desert, population of 250. The Man was lit by literally the first fire-twirlers at Burning Man... For a deeper look at the history of Burning Man check out the Burning Man Timeline: http://burningman.org/timeline Check out our full video archive: http://youtube.com/burningman Visit the Burning Man website: http://burningman.org Read the Voice of Burning Man blog: http://burningman.org/voices Burning Man on Twitter: http://twitter.com/burningman LIKE Burning Man on Facebook: http://fb.com/burningman Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/burningman Subscribe to the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter: http://burningman.org/jrs
4060. 1991-08-27 — burning-man-1991_3495089657_o.webp
4061. 1991-08-27 — 2941084. John Law in 1991. Photo: Kevin Evans.
4062. 1991-08-28 — burning-man-1991_3495089807_o.webp
4063. 1991-08-28 — 5670373_orig. Photo: Danger Ranger
4064. 1991-08-29 — 423445_orig. Photo: C. Nick Lynch
4065. 1991-08-31 — 1991+-+Ann+Coulter+-+Fashion+Show. Annie Coulter. The first Burning Man Fashion show was held for the first time at 6 pm on Saturday, 1991, with the sun begging to set
4066. 1991-09-01 — 5352185. Photo: George Post
4067. 1991-09-03 — Whole+Earth+_+Spring+1991+(back+Cover). Back Cover, Whole Earth Review | Spring 1999
4068. 1991-09-03 — Spring+1991+_+Whole+Earth+(Inside+back+Cover). Inside Back Cover, Whole Earth Review | Spring 1999
4069. 1991-09-30 — burning-man-1991_3495089349_o.webp
4070. 1991-09-30 — burning-man-1991_3495907124_o.webp
4071. 1991-09-30 — burning-man-1991_3495905786_o.webp
4072. 1991-09-30 — burning-man-1991_3495906568_o.webp
4073. 1991-12-03 — Larry Harvey (1991). Produced in 1991 by Larry Harvey, this video captures one of the earliest burns in the desert and some of the very earliest interview footage with him. Post production assistance provided by Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) in San Francisco. Check out our full video archive: http://youtube.com/burningman Visit the Burning Man website: http://burningman.org Read the Burning Man Journal: http://journal.burningman.org Subscribe to the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter: http://burningman.org/jrs
4074. 1992-08-01 — 1992-burning-man-ticket-2_orig
4075. 1992-08-26 — OldSkool Burning Man 1992. Part I. Things have changed a lot. I attended in 1991 and 1992. 600 people attended in 1992. Over 35,000 attended last year. Music: Destination by The Church. Originally uploaded by criticallanding Check out our full video archive: http://youtube.com/burningman Visit the Burning Man website: http://burningman.org Read the Burning Man Journal: http://journal.burningman.org Subscribe to the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter: http://burningman.org/jrs
4076. 1992-08-26 — 1992 Burning Man with Goa Gil, Ariane, B.R.A.D., Friends and Family
4077. 1992-08-27 — burning man 1992
4078. 1992-08-29 — OldSkool Burning Man 1992. Part I. Things have changed a lot. I attended in 1991 and 1992. 600 people attended in 1992. Over 35,000 attended last year. Music: Destination by The Church.
4079. 1992-08-30 — 92_blackrock_gazette2
4080. 1992-08-30 — 6960251_orig. What was defacto Center Camp that year. Photo: dapete
4081. 1992-08-30 — 447_34
4082. 1992-08-30 — 5480159162_8e7d381884_o. The 1992 Site Plan shows 100 yards to the Man from a Camp that is 630 ft wide
4083. 1992-08-31 — first-sound-camp_orig
4084. 1992-08-31 — 1994+Boggman+works+the+gate
4085. 1992-08-31 — Serena+de+la+Hay+Wicker
4086. 1992-08-31 — Desert-House-with-Man-Burning-sunset-night_3000-ppi-copy-958x559
4087. 1992-09-01 — 1973995_orig. Photo: Danger Ranger
4088. 1992-09-02 — Burning Man 1992 "Rave Camp". The first "rave camp" at Burning Man. Featuring Goa Gill, and others. See Trippingly.net for more: https://www.trippingly.net/burning-man-musings/2019/2/26/burning-man-1992
4089. 1992-09-03 — 8274255_orig. One of 92's ambitious (for the time) art projects - a large compass constructed out of small, white wooden tiles. The artist is on the right, wearing an original Rand McNally (map). Photo: dapete
4090. 1992-09-04 — 7333041_orig. Someone tried to land on the playa and it did not go well. The front wheel assembly ripped off - playa was too soft for it. It sounds like everyone was ok, however, and the photographer reports partying with a passenger from the plane at the Burn later that night. She (passenger) was quick to point what a strange day she'd had. No doubt. Photo: dapete
4091. 1992-09-04 — 92_manraise
4092. 1992-09-04 — 1992+Kimrick+and+Dan+(rigging+explosives). Kimric Smythe rigs explosives to the Man and Dan Miller looks on
4093. 1992-09-04 — Kimric sends firecrackers to the heavens (with Rev. Al and Little Joe).. By 1992, guns were more common, and fires were being complemented with explosions via home made gas bombs, and more sophisticated pyrotechnics. Kimric Smythe build a wall of fire with a long line of sawdust and kerosene, a flat plane of flames bursting abruptly from the ground. In later years he (and then he and his wife) would cover himself in fireworks, light them and dance around the base of the man in his persona as “The Exploding Man”.
4094. 1992-09-04 — 3015569_orig. Photo: David Thompson
4095. 1992-09-04 — brad-djing-1992_orig (1). B.R.A.D.
4096. 1992-09-04 — craig-in-1992_orig. Craig on the playa in 1992.
4097. 1992-09-05 — 92_blackrockgazette
4098. 1992-09-05 — 8930336_orig. A performance piece of happy spirits trying to awaken a couch potato. Photo: dapete
4099. 1992-09-05 — 1992+Aliens+with+Wickers+Performance+Art+1992
4100. 1992-09-06 — schlangerg_5033_w+(1). Desert Shower Gregg Schlanger also had an installation of sorts: a two stall, hand pumped shower. He also installed a working flume in the Desert House by William Binzen.
4101. 1992-10-12 — IMG_4394
4102. 1993-06-10 — 1993+DSW+Lingam+Pepe+Ozan. Lingram - 1993 DSW The original Lingram, at Desert Siteworks, June 1993
4103. 1993-06-12 — 1993+Lingram. Lingam (1993) The first Burning Man Lingram (photo by Stewart Harvey)
4104. 1993-07-01 — 93-dsw-desert-house-black-rock-springs. Desert House, 1993 at DSW (later reconstructed at Burning Man)
4105. 1993-08-01 — Building Burning Man

Full text archive: /loreline-text/burning-man.md