Step back in time and dust off your bell-bottoms because it’s Throwback Thursday. The 1970s were a vibrant decade full of bold colors and bolder people. Disco lit up the dance floors, peace signs filled the air, and everyday life was full of energy.
Each photo tells its own story and offers a small window into the decade. They remind us of a time when self-expression was everywhere and seemed larger than life. Let’s dive into 23 vintage photos that embody the 1970s.
1. The American DJ who “discovered” the band Rush in 1974, Donna Halper
2. Dressed up in their Sunday best in Harlem, 1970
3. A teacher in California, giving a lecture about waves, 1970
4. Arrested protesters of the Vietnam War, 1971
5. Inside a 7/11 in 1971
6. George Carlin was arrested after performing “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.”
7. A night out in Los Angeles, 1972
8. Caroline Munro getting a shoeshine, 1972
9. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin holding a dove that flew into his hand during a concert, 1973
10. Charging up his AMC Gremlin at a curbside charging station, Seattle, 1973
11. “Mom walking me to my first day of first grade, 1974.”
12. Elton John travelling on his private jet, complete with a piano bar, 1974
13. Just a girl and her very social dog, 1974
14. Saundra Brown, getting instructions on how to shoot a shotgun, 1970
15. Elton John playing for a sold-out Dodger Stadium, 1975
16. “My sister and her ’66 GTO in 1975.”
17. This photo tells its very own story
18. “Just a bunch of hippies, 1976.”
19. Opening day for Star Wars, May 25th, 1977
20. A day on the beach in Manhattan, 1977
21. A police officer playing duck, duck, goose with children in Harlem, 1978
22. Sigourney Weaver testing out a flamethrower for the movie Alien, 1978
23. NASA’s first six female astronauts, 1979
Want to see more vintage photos?
Check out 20 Vintage Photos That Sum Up Life In 1949, or take a look at 26 Colorized Vintage Photos From 1899. Finally, if you want to see vintage photos from car shows, check out 27 Vintage Photos of Car Shows (1930s-1970s).