The Most Joyful Party Photos From NYC's Clubs In The '90s

NEW YORK CITY – New York City after dark in the '90s was an ecstatic fever dream fueled by club kids' outrageous fantasies, and as house photographer for Peter Gatien's four iconic clubs, Steve Eichner had a ringside seat for all the action.

To celebrate "In the Limelight: The Visual Excess of NYC Night Life in the '90s," Eichner's new book with Gabriel Sanchez, Patch takes you back to the jubilation of clubbing in '90s NYC.

Read about Eichner's memories in his own words and see his picks of his most joyful photos from the 90s nightlife in NYC:

Photographing partiers at play was delightful for me and made entertaining pictures.

I always loved taking photos on the dancefloor. The lights are shining brightly, and people would be totally uninhibited. So much action and a communal vibe of everyone moving their bodies to the beat. The DJ would be in command, and when the music reached a crescendo, the entire room seemed to climax together in unison. That is such a wonderful feeling. Sweating and pulsing to the beat simultaneously with thousands of other people.

Dancing up on a riser or on the stage was for those that felt like letting their inner exhibitionist loose, on display for the entire room to see —showing off your best moves. The exhilaration of having all eyes on you.

There were other ways to have fun and let one's inner child out. The Tunnel had a ball pit where people could jump into thousands of yellow plastic balls and throw them around like an out of control kindergarten playroom. Club USA had a big blue circular slide that went from the balcony to the dancefloor, so if you felt the rhythm just up, jump in and get down.

Roxy had a swing high above the dancefloor where couples would relive those playground days of their youth while drinking an adult beverage. My favorite was the shampoo room at Limelight. Filled with foam bubbles, the kids all had good clean fun bopping around in there.

Even the co-ed bathroom at Tunnel was a place for merrymaking. Gatien thought since folks generally hang out in the bathrooms at clubs, why not put a bar in the center of the bathroom with some seating? It's comfortable, and you can get a drink and do your partying without leaving the loo.

The fashions were witty, playful, and bold. The visuals of the clubs were extremely enjoyable. Drag queens, crossdressers, facepaint, and sexiness everywhere. Fabulous was the word of the era, and it came in all forms. As a visual person, wherever I pointed my camera, there was an explosion of fabulousness to capture. Some so hilarious and experimental, I would laugh out loud while pressing the shutter button.

The 90s were about pleasure, and it was in every corner. Couples making out always made for compelling pics. The clubs brought people together, and I would delight in all the love and passion I saw throughout the club scene.

All photos are by Steve Eichner and can be seen featured in his new book called "In The Limelight - The Visual Ecstasy of NYC Nightlife in the 90s"

Steve Eichner is a legendary nightlife photographer. After his tenure in the clubs, he worked as a staff photographer for Women's Wear Daily for nearly two decades. His photographs have been published in Vogue, The New York Times, Newsweek, TIME, Rolling Stone, People, Vanity Fair, Cosmo, Details and GQ.