“Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.” Madonna, 1984

The 1980s were BIG. Remembered by many as a time of excess and extremes, this was not the case for all Americans. These photographs from the Richmond Times-Dispatch document a now legendary time in history. They also help us understand today’s culture, which is being shaped by 80s kids who are bringing back that decade’s values, worldviews, and attitudes.

A Material World: Photographs of the 1980s from the Richmond Times-Dispatch was organized by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture