From fashionable teenagers dressed in their finest clothes  to an older woman simply sitting on a bench with her walking stick, this series of photographs capture what people looked like when they ventured out to the mall three decades ago. The photo series called 'Mall Series,' offers a glimpse of the teenagers, staff, and shoppers who were nicknamed 'Mall Rats,' and enjoyed nothing better than spending hours in the shopping centers in the 1980s. They were taken by Massachusetts-based photographer Stephen DiRado in the downtown Worcester Galleria. Girls just wanna have fun: In this image, one girl sports a Mohawk hairstyle while the other shows a jacket with 'drug free youth' on it . His images exposed the sense of freedom that teenagers felt when they were allowed to hang out in the mall far away from their parents and close to their peers. Meanwhile, other images capture sales staff looking less than enthusiastic about flogging goods, like toothpaste and toothbrushes, to passing shoppers. DiRado's images also manage to show teenagers kissing behind a phone booth and a group of guys dressed in their finest clothes just to hang out. The photographer spent over three years painstakingly photographing  the hairstyles, clothes, and demeanor of the characters who roamed around the mall in the now-closed Worcester Galleria. His project begun in 1984, shortly after he got a job teaching at nearby Clark university,. He was given permission to photograph the mall and the people  in it and became such a regular fixture that  when the teenagers became rowdy, security staff would allow him to photograph the scene before they would step in to break up the trouble. For sale: These sales girls look more interested in gossiping than selling the toothbrushes and toothpaste spread out on their table . B-boys: These cool dudes are wearing 1980s Hip Hop fashion and are decked out in sneakers while one guy is wearing leather gloves . But he was asked not to photograph anything obscene, according to Feature Shoot, but still managed to amass a collection of thousands of images featuring characters of all ages. Matriarch: This woman is sitting on a bench with her walking stick and is wearing a fur coat to keep her warm whilst in the mall . Telephone boxes: These phone booths hide a pair of teenagers behind it who have stolen a few moments to be alone . The photographer believes that mall life in the 1970s and 1980s signified a potent shift for American youth culture. He said it was a time when the middle class Baby Boomers and Generation X came of age within the walls of shopping centers like Worcester Galleria. Security guards: The photographer became such a regular fixture in the mall that when the teenagers became rowdy, security staff would allow him to photograph the scene before they would step in to break up the trouble . Closed: This shop appears to be offering phones and other goods and invites customers to 'come in and see' what they've got . Boom box: This dapper guy has brought his boom box to the mall, maybe he hopes his stereo will help him attract the ladies . Day trip: Three women sit behind a disabled man in the Worcester Galleria, all seem to be making a day of it and are dressed in heavy coats . Reading: This woman is reading a newspaper on a bench in the mall, she appears to be reading about what's on offer in Sears . Ultimately, he believes his images also point to the beginning of the end of the 1980s mall scene. In a few short years, the Worcester Galleria would fail, its temporary occupants forced out as times changed. Today, his images provide a flashback of life over 30 years ago. Make-up: This teenager is applying thick lipstick to her lips and is showing off the latest in 1980s fashion along with a frizzy hairstyle . Small shops: This corridor appears to be where smaller boutiques were housed as a salesman shows off a selection of jewellery . Family: This mom and son have taken a break from shopping, but he is already wearing a classic 1980s jacket and bobble hat combination . Chic: This teenager has just finished a bite to eat and is wearing a leather jacket, wide glasses, and a broad belt over her pants .
The photo series called 'Mall Series' were taken by Massachusetts-based photographer Stephen DiRado .
His project begun in 1984, shortly after he got a job teaching at nearby Clark university .
He took pictures of people who used to spend hours at the mall, enjoy hanging out and meeting friends .
He photographed everyone from a boy with a boom box to an older lady dressed in a fur coat .
From fashionable teenagers dressed in their finest clothes  to an older woman simply sitting on a bench with her walking stick, this series of photographs capture what people looked like when they ventured out to the mall three decades ago. The photo series called 'Mall Series,' offers a glimpse of the teenagers, staff, and shoppers who were nicknamed 'Mall Rats,' and enjoyed nothing better than spending hours in the shopping centers in the 1980s. They were taken by Massachusetts-based photographer Stephen DiRado in the downtown Worcester Galleria. Girls just wanna have fun: In this image, one girl sports a Mohawk hairstyle while the other shows a jacket with 'drug free youth' on it . His images exposed the sense of freedom that teenagers felt when they were allowed to hang out in the mall far away from their parents and close to their peers. Meanwhile, other images capture sales staff looking less than enthusiastic about flogging goods, like toothpaste and toothbrushes, to passing shoppers. DiRado's images also manage to show teenagers kissing behind a phone booth and a group of guys dressed in their finest clothes just to hang out. The photographer spent over three years painstakingly photographing  the hairstyles, clothes, and demeanor of the characters who roamed around the mall in the now-closed Worcester Galleria. His project begun in 1984, shortly after he got a job teaching at nearby Clark university,. He was given permission to photograph the mall and the people  in it and became such a regular fixture that  when the teenagers became rowdy, security staff would allow him to photograph the scene before they would step in to break up the trouble. For sale: These sales girls look more interested in gossiping than selling the toothbrushes and toothpaste spread out on their table . B-boys: These cool dudes are wearing 1980s Hip Hop fashion and are decked out in sneakers while one guy is wearing leather gloves . But he was asked not to photograph anything obscene, according to Feature Shoot, but still managed to amass a collection of thousands of images featuring characters of all ages. Matriarch: This woman is sitting on a bench with her walking stick and is wearing a fur coat to keep her warm whilst in the mall . Telephone boxes: These phone booths hide a pair of teenagers behind it who have stolen a few moments to be alone . The photographer believes that mall life in the 1970s and 1980s signified a potent shift for American youth culture. He said it was a time when the middle class Baby Boomers and Generation X came of age within the walls of shopping centers like Worcester Galleria. Security guards: The photographer became such a regular fixture in the mall that when the teenagers became rowdy, security staff would allow him to photograph the scene before they would step in to break up the trouble . Closed: This shop appears to be offering phones and other goods and invites customers to 'come in and see' what they've got . Boom box: This dapper guy has brought his boom box to the mall, maybe he hopes his stereo will help him attract the ladies . Day trip: Three women sit behind a disabled man in the Worcester Galleria, all seem to be making a day of it and are dressed in heavy coats . Reading: This woman is reading a newspaper on a bench in the mall, she appears to be reading about what's on offer in Sears . Ultimately, he believes his images also point to the beginning of the end of the 1980s mall scene. In a few short years, the Worcester Galleria would fail, its temporary occupants forced out as times changed. Today, his images provide a flashback of life over 30 years ago. Make-up: This teenager is applying thick lipstick to her lips and is showing off the latest in 1980s fashion along with a frizzy hairstyle . Small shops: This corridor appears to be where smaller boutiques were housed as a salesman shows off a selection of jewellery . Family: This mom and son have taken a break from shopping, but he is already wearing a classic 1980s jacket and bobble hat combination . Chic: This teenager has just finished a bite to eat and is wearing a leather jacket, wide glasses, and a broad belt over her pants .
The photo series called 'Mall Series,' offers a centers in the 1980s. They were taken by Massachusetts-based photographer Stephen DiRado now-closed Worcester Galleria. His project begun in 1984, shortly after he got a job teaching at nearby Clark university,. He was given permission brought his boom box to the mall, maybe he hopes