The Nineteen Seventies

[lawrence]

Later this month I'm putting on a small show of my photos from the 1970s - lawrenceimpey.com - and would love to see any other photos that somehow reflect that era. Lynn put some excellent Aussie pub photos up a couple of years ago so do click here if you haven't seen them.

 

[robert blu]

First congrats for the exhibition (I specially like the linked photo of Stewart Copeland) second thanks for the link to Lynn photos I missed.
Now I have to look for that boxes of the time when I still had hairs 🙂

robert

 

[lynnb]

congratulations too Lawrence, and thanks for the link to that thread I'd completely forgotten about!

Here's Sydney's North Curl Curl beach in the 1970s, taken with Panatomic-X (ASA 25). The crowd on the beach are surf club members and Nippers (junior members) preparing for the swimming and beach race events held every Sunday morning. Not a lot has changed since then. Note the old surf reel on the right hand side, under the umbrella. In following decades, belt-and-line life saving was abandoned in favour of torpedo buoys. The lines had to be waxed to stay afloat. Unwaxed lines could drag you under while you were attempting a rescue:

Travelling to surf life saving carnivals was one of the highlights of SLSC club life. These were taken on the club's bus on the 600 mile trip up the coast to the National Surf Life Saving Titles. It was an old city bus and back in those days there were no seat belts. The Ramones played non-stop on the stereo. Party time!

 

[nlubis]

Congratulations on the exhibition.
Enjoyed the photos, both yours and from Lynn.

 

[lynnb]

beach life, mid 1970s

The surf boats were all timber construction back then. Now they're carbon fibre and composites.

 

[lynnb]

My sister was in a ballet school in the 1960s and 70s, as were most girls from age 5 to about 17. The ballet school held its big concert once a year in the Town Hall. It's a full house with an audience of doting parents and grandparents. The concert always starts with the smallest children, to tug the heartstrings and put everyone in a good mood. In the wings you can see other children watching while they wait their turn to take the stage. Everyone has trained hard all year for this moment. They daren't talk because the ballet mistress is everywhere, keeping a very stern eye and ear for any misbehaviour, as well as giving quiet commands to the children on the stage. You can see her clearly in the last of these photos as she gives last minute instructions to a young girl about to go on stage.
The excited children on stage search the audience to see their family against the glare of the stage lights. They will be rewarded with a wave, but any who dare to wave back will be sternly disciplined after the performance is over.
Shot in about 1975.

 

[lynnb]

Hanging out at the beach, Sydney

 

[lynnb]

1978, Curtin Springs Station, Northern Territory, Central Australia. The road from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (now Uluru) was dirt all the way.

 

[lynnb]

Keith will probably be able to identify this outback Queensland town, snapped in 1978. It could have been Charleville or Cunnamulla. Time stands still in outback Queensland.

 

[lynnb]

Surf club girl, late 1970s

 

[lynnb]

Patrick and Kerry, 1978. They are still together.

 

[lynnb]

Debbie, 1978. This was the look.

 

[p.giannakis]

What an excellent thread! Pity I was too young back in the 70's to remember. Keep posting!

 

[Mackinaw]

Nothing defines the 1970's better than terrible fashion.

Jim B.

 

[sevres_babylone]

From a trip to New York in the seventies.

 

[x-ray]

Lawrence that's some very fine work.

 

[cz23]

Lynn, a wonderful sequence here. They sure take me back. And they underscore the special beauty of B&W film. Thanks!

John

 

[lawrence]

Lawrence that's some very fine work.

Many thanks, it was fun to go through those old negs and reminisce about the days before the world went digital...

 

[lawrence]

It's always interesting to remember that much of the '60s were actually in the '70s.

So true. Don't know about you but for me the '60s ended with Nixon's resignation...

 

[lynnb]

This is a cafe in the small coastal town of Macksville in northern NSW, Australia, taken in the 1970s with an OM1

by lynnb on flickr