Stunning Pictures of North Korea Industries in 1972
Medical facility. June 1972, Pyongyang, North Korea.
In June 1972, The Toronto Star’s veteran Asia correspondent Mark Gayn was one of four reporters allowed into North Korea. The trip yielded four lengthy feature stories, published in The Star in July 1972, where Gayn detailed the country’s political landscape, then dominated by Kim Il Sung, and its people. Continue reading »
Pictures of Fascinating Jacuzzi Hot Tubs From the 1970s and 1980s
If you weren’t burning up the disco dance floor during the 1970s, chances are you could be found steaming things up in a Jacuzzi. These hot tubs were a relaxing and soothing place that became a must-have for anyone looking to enhance their swanky, sexy living space. Jacuzzis seemed to fit right in with the hipness of shag rugs, and the laid-back appeal of wood paneling. Owning a Jacuzzi meant that you would never again have to settle for an ordinary, run-of-the-mill bath. Instead, take the plunge into a Jacuzzi, and you could take bathing to a whole new level. Continue reading »
Amazing Vintage Photographs Capture Chicago Night Clubs’ Scene From the Mid-1970s
Between 1975 and 1977, sometimes five nights a week, photographer Michael Abramson traveled from his northern Chicago suburb to the South Side, rambling from nighttime hotspots like Perv’s House and the Five Fingers Social Club to the High Chaparral and the New Jazz Showcase Lounge. Continue reading »
Stunning Photos of Betty Davis and Her Bold, Funky Style in the Late 1960s and ’70s
Born 1945 in Durham, North Carolina, American funk and soul singer Betty Davis recorded “Get Ready For Betty” b/w “I’m Gonna Get My Baby Back” in 1964 for DCP International. Sometime in that same era, she also recorded a duet with Roy Arlington and under their joint name “Roy and Betty,” released a single for Safice entitled, “I’ll Be There.” Continue reading »
Bowie Fans Outside a David Bowie Concert, Including a Young Sid Vicious, at Earls Court, London, 1973
Following UK dates at the start of the year, The David Bowie Tour 1973 revisited the USA in February and Japan for the first time in April. Continue reading »
Stunning Snapshots of America in Crisis in the 1970s
By the late 1960s, the American landscape was ravaged by decades of unchecked land development, blighted by urban decay in the big cities, and plagued by seemingly unstoppable air, noise, and water pollution.
In November 1971, the newly created Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a monumental photodocumentary project to “photographically document subjects of environmental concern” in the United States. The collection, now at the National Archives, resulted in a collection of more than 20,000 photographs by its conclusion in 1978.
Water cooling towers of the John Amos Power Plant loom over a home located across the Kanawha River, near Poca, West Virginia, August 1973. (Harry Schaefer)
With support from the first EPA administrator, William Ruckelshaus, project director Gifford D. Hampshire contracted well-known photographers to work for the EPA on the project. Estimates of the number involved range between 70 and 120, and they were organized geographically, with each photographer working in a particular area in which they were already active. Continue reading »
Mike’s Motels 1974: Atmospheric Retro Photos of the Roadside Motels by Mike Mandel
According to Mike Mandel: “Working on the Baseball Photographer Trading Cards, traveling throughout the country, my girlfriend at the time, Alison Woolpert, and I would stay at some, shall we say, “economy” motels. We pulled into one in Texas on a wintry night and upon waking in the morning we realized that the sheets had not been changed after the visit of the previous motel guest. Continue reading »
Evocative Photos of Life in Texas in the 1970s
Dallas, 1972
By the late 1960s, the American landscape was ravaged by decades of unchecked land development, blighted by urban decay in the big cities, and plagued by seemingly unstoppable air, noise, and water pollution. Continue reading »
Cool Photos Show Lifestyle of Swedish Youth in the Early 1970s
The decade of the 1970s was in many ways a continuation of the late 1960s with respect to social trends. Continue reading »
Amazing Cover Photos of the Famous Monsters of Filmland in the 1970s
Famous Monsters of Filmland is an American genre-specific film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. Continue reading »
Fascinating Nostalgic Black and White Photos of Daily Life in Michigan in 1970s and ’80s
These pictures were taken by Don Hudson, an experienced amateur photographer born on December 29, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, during his student days at the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, now called College for Creative Studies. Continue reading »
A Teenager’s Photos of 1970s Brooklyn NYC: Led Zeppelin, The El, snow and All the President’s Men
Anthony Catalano’s photographs of Brooklyn, New York City, in the mid-1970s were mostly developed in his darkroom in Boro Park darkroom in the 70s. “Remember the snow storm of ’78?” he asks. Continue reading »
Portraits of Lovely Ladies Featured on the Covers of Radio Control Modeler Magazines From the 1970s and 1980s
We all know about the lovely ladies who graced the covers of such manly car and bike magazines as Easy Rider, Hot Rod, and Lowrider… but there was another type of magazine that gave those macho muscle car magazines a run for their money, the radio control airplane magazine. Continue reading »
‘Dental Plumper’ Jaw Prosthetic Worn by Marlon Brando in The Godfather, 1972
Marlon Brando did it for the screen test in order to make Vito Corleone “look like a bulldog.” For the filming of the movie, he had a dentist make him a custom mouthpiece to create his sagging jowls. Continue reading »
Cool Photos Defined Fashion Styles of Young Women in the 1970s
The 1970s began with a continuation of the hippie look from the 1960s, giving a distinct ethnic flavor.
Popular early 1970s fashions for women included Tie dye shirts, Mexican ‘peasant’ blouses, folk-embroidered Hungarian blouses, ponchos, capes, and military surplus clothing. Bottom attire for women during this time included bell-bottoms, gauchos, frayed jeans, midi skirts, and ankle-length maxi dresses. Hippie clothing during this time was made in extremely bright colors, as well as Indian patterns, Native American patterns, and floral patterns. Continue reading »
Amazing Photographs of Jim Henson Posing With His Muppets From the 1970s and 1980s
Jim Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), the man behind the Muppets, began working as a puppeteer in college, creating characters like Kermit the Frog. He worked as a producer on Sesame Street, a popular kids’ show that launched in 1969, and created The Muppet Show in 1976. The Muppet Movie, the first of many movies featuring Henson’s famous characters, appeared in 1979. Henson received several accolades for his work, including Emmys, Grammys and a Peabody Award. Continue reading »
Heartwarming Photos of KISS Posing with Their Parents in 1977
Group photos of KISS at Madison Square Garden backstage together with their parents in 1977. Continue reading »
Cool Photos Defined Fashion Styles of Young People in the 1970s
The early 1970s fashion scene was very similar to 1969, just a bit more flamboyant. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that a fashion revolution occurred in the 1970s. Polyester was the material of choice and bright colors were everywhere. Men and women alike were wearing very tight fitting pants and platform shoes. Continue reading »
Alexander Calder’s Iconic Flying Colors Series for Braniff Airlines in the 1970s
In the early 1973, Braniff Airlines commissioned Alexander Calder to paint one of their aircrafts to celebrate twenty-five years of travel to South America. Continue reading »
Spectacular Photographs of Newcastle in the 1970s
Between Beresford Road (left) and Avondale Road in 1974.
Trevor Ermel
“I started taking photographs in my school days in the 1960s, as a means of recording my interest in railways,” says Trevor Ermel, whose photographs of Newcastle take us back to when the city was still synonymous with heavy industry. Continue reading »
Amazing Photographs of Auto Transporters From the 1970s and 1980s
Car shipping can be traced all the way back to the invention of the automobile. Cars were originally extremely expensive luxuries imported from Europe in the late 19th century. There wasn’t a very high for demand for cars because of the expense. However, car shipping was still necessary because of the long distances between manufacturers, dealers and buyers. Continue reading »
Amazing Photographs of Teenage Skateboarder Laura Thornhill Caswell in the 1970s
Laura Thornhill Caswell was born in 1961 in Dallas, Texas, where she grew up. She was an avid roller skater as a young child. The day she saw a skateboard, something changed, and she knew she was destined to ride. Continue reading »
Beautiful Photos of the Lincoln Continental Mark V
The Continental Mark V is a personal luxury coupe that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from the 1977 to 1979 model years in North America. The fourth generation Mark series, the Mark V was derived from its Continental Mark IV predecessor, bringing an extensive update to the interior and exterior design. While only sold for three years, the Mark V is the best-selling generation of the Mark series, with 228,262 examples produced. Continue reading »
Haunting Photographic Self-Portraits by Francesca Woodman From the 1970s
Francesca Woodman (April 3, 1958 – January 19, 1981) is best known for photographing herself. But her pictures are not self-portraits in the traditional sense. She is often nude or semi-nude and usually seen half hidden or obscured – sometimes by furniture, sometimes by slow exposures that blur her figure into a ghostly presence. These beautiful and yet unsettling images seem fleeting but also suggest a sense of timelessness. Continue reading »
Vintage Snaps Capture Life at Venice Beach in 1970
The smell of the ocean, the feel of sand on your feet and the burning of incense bring back the memories of a golden era in Venice Beach. These vintage snapshots were taken by Howard Gribble that show life at Venice Beach in 1970. Continue reading »
