The US in the '70s

[ChrisPlatt]

Like all photos they tell part of the story, and express a particular viewpoint.
I grew up in New York City and graduated from a NYC public high school in 1978.
I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! 🙂

Chris

 

[I Love Film]

Amen. Center of the Universe.

Like all photos they tell part of the story, and express a particular viewpoint.
I grew up in New York City and graduated from a NYC public high school in 1978.
I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! 🙂

Chris

 

[jm51]

Only heard about 'bokeh' last week and I keep looking for it in old pics. 🙂

 

[Contarama]

Only heard about 'bokeh' last week and I keep looking for it in old pics. 🙂

I'm wondering if it is possible in 2012 to get a job working for the EPA making snaps of all the environmental degradation going on around me???

We live in dark times I need to make some bread...LOL

 

[celluloidprop]

I get the argument that Americans are worse-off today - the decline in real wages, the rapidly growing wealth and income gap - both are shameful.

But really, would you rather be a person of color, a woman or LGBT today or in 1975?
There are two groups that can look back on that era (or the '50s, or other cherished times of yore) and justifiably say they were better off: straight white men and well-educated immigrants (the tech economy has been very good in that arena).

(for the record, I'm a straight white dude)(almost translucent, really)

EDIT: Um, duh - meant to put well-educated immigrants in the first camp. The number of first- and second-generation immigrants in engineering and computers is astounding - I believe they account for 50% of new tech patents or something like that. Couldn't have even our shoddy economy without them.

 

[Contarama]

I get the argument that Americans are worse-off today - the decline in real wages, the rapidly growing wealth and income gap - both are shameful.

But really, would you rather be a person of color, a woman or LGBT today or in 1975?
There are two groups that can look back on that era (or the '50s, or other cherished times of yore) and justifiably say they were better off: straight white men and well-educated immigrants (the tech economy has been very good in that arena).

I love your signature line sir...and once again thanks for a great thread! (from a straight white guy descended from well educated, well armed, and disease ridden immigrants)

I think it is good to be alive anytime no matter what you are and maybe even more so in trying circumstances and despite the evironment whatever it may be!

 

[jmarcus]

Great post thanks for sharing.

 

[f6andBthere]

A very biased, and pointless, bunch of pictures. You could have taken the same pictures in the 1950s' or in 2011.

Jim B.

How the hell can images be 'biased' unless they've been photoshopped or similar. They show what was there in front of the lens at the time ... ugly or beautiful!

And why 'pointless' to have a such a powerful record of why we need to learn from our mistakes!

 

[gilpen123]

It's the time in our life when people still do not care about the environment. More and more people are now aware of the repercussions unfortunately we have destroyed enough to be able to recover in the next 50 years. Our children and grand children and great grand children will suffer the brunt of mother nature. Nice captures, very good documentary photography.

 

[raydm6]

Thanks for the link. I like #24 - $0.30 gas 🙂

 

[jarski]

thanks OP for great link, bookmarked.

"... Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. ..." - Baz Luhrmann Lyrics - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

 

[uhoh7]

Wow brings it back, but I was in Davis, Cali. Grad 75. No McMansions, but no work zombies either.

My sister married a black med student. Huge scandal.

As far as the environment in the west, the toxins may be under better control, but warming has utterly destroyed the entire high altitude web of ecosystems in the last 12 years, so this decade is worst since humans came to north America. Direct result from what you see in many images in the link.

Wish it was not true as I love that Camero and much of the other stuff.

Human negative impact on earth today is far far worse than 70s--with exceptions like ozone. Even the models of sustainable living in northern Europeare not even close to what we'd need to leave the way we find it.

Globalization = mass extinction

Good for toys like Sony nex, though, and has prolonged the lives of a few generations in the 1st world.

In the 70's we were pissed. Today we have sold out, and prefer to avoid thinking about it. I'm as guilty is anyone----but my 70's brain will not let me deny it all.

Dead whitebarks in Sawtooths 2011