Inside Amsterdam's Red Light District 30 years ago (9 photos)

At first glance, Amsterdam's Red Light District seems virtually unchanged by time. Sex workers still beckon to passersby, drunken singing still echoes from dingy bars, and police officers regularly stride down the streets on patrol. Locals, however, insist that life here used to be completely different and far more authentic. Over the years, city authorities have shut down numerous coffeeshops and confined sex workers—who once walked the streets freely—behind curtained windows.

Photographer Huub Prickaerts lived nearby during the 1990s and actively documented this vibrant reality. People with cameras were always met with hostility here, so he shot from the hip, pretending to look the other way. While a controversial technique, Prickaerts managed to capture plenty of incredible shots.