50 Vintage Pictures From The 1970s Archives That May Change The Way You Look At This Iconic Era

There’s no denial that when you think about what the ’70s are known for, the era’s colorful culture is the one thing that pops to mind first. Everything from the fashion, to music, to movies is so beautifully vivid and bold, one can’t help but admire it.

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Ruth Gordon Schnapp, California’s First Woman Structural Engineer, 1970s

If you were to describe atypical ’70s outfit, you’d probably mention one of the standard hippie looks consisting of bell-bottoms, a turtle neck, and some modest peace-sign-shaped jewelry. This type of bohemianfashionwas all the rage in the first part of the decade.

41 29th Street, San Francisco, 1978

Hippie Dad Walking With His Daughter, Amsterdam, 1967. Photo By Toni Riera

Joan Jett Without Her Signature Black Eyeliner

Women In Afghanistan During The 70s. Before Taliban. Heartbroken For All Woman, Men And Children Going Through Pain Now In

Tim Curry, 1974 By Joe Gaffney

The ‘70swere burstingwith musical talent and innovations. Rock music was seeing a particular boom in the industry. Hard rock emerged with AC/DC, Kiss, and Aerosmith rising into stardom. Punk rock was also finding its audience with the Ramones, Blondie, and Patti Smith encouraging everyone to shun the mainstream.

Helen Mirren, 1969

Harrison Ford In A Kitchen In The Late 70s

That Moment When You Realize Your Parents Were Cooler Than You. “My Parents In Front Of A Store In Paris, 1972”

Meanwhile, the mainstream was seeing the rise ofdiscomusic. Nightclubs were popping up all over the place and people needed dance anthems there and then. That’s when Gloria Gaynor gave the world “I Will Survive,” Chic made us “Le Freak,” and the Bee Gees reinvigorated everyone with “Staying Alive.”

André The Giant, Using Dwayne Johnson’s Grandfather (Weighing 315lb), High Chief Peter Maivia As A Booster Seat. 1970s

Lynda Carter Pre-Wonder Woman In The 7os

Gary Anderson, The Guy Who, At Age 23, Designed The Recycling Logo For A Contest, 1970

A Woman Photographed In 1973

Amy Irving, Carrie Fisher And Teri Garr. New York City, 1977

Cher

Talking aboutinspirational movies, one cannot omit the monumental work made during this decade. The young filmmaking voices such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese premiered The Godfather, Jaws, and Taxi Driver respectively, all of which rocked the movie scene.

14-Year-Old Melanie Griffith, At Home With Her Pet Lion, Neil,1971

Dolly Parton Performs In Detroit, Michigan In September Of 1977

New York City, 1975 By @joel_meyerowitz

Genre movies also rose in popularity, with quite a few science fiction flicks garnering a lot of attention. The epic space opera, Star Wars, became an instant hit and gradually evolved into a cultural phenomenon. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind got everyone talking about aliens, a topic that was further explored with Alien at the end of the decade.

New York City, 1978. Photo By Helen Levitt

A Very Chill Looking Dude Getting Caught Growing Weed In His Garden, L.a., 1973

Susan Sarandon, Cannes, 1978

All in all, the ’70s culture was quite charming. Looking back, there are quite a few things one would love to bring back. Not theviolence, homophobia, or carelessness, of course. Preferably, just the funky patterns and the awkward lingo. Right on, dude!

San Francisco’s Lombard Street In 1975

Conversation Pits From The 1960s And 1970s

Susan Sarandon In “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)

Elton John At Home With His Shoe Collection. Photo By Terry O’neill, 1975

Rumours (1977)

Sizzling In The Kitchen: Abba’s Agnetha Fältskog, 1974

Al Pacino

Dolly Parton

Anjelica Huston Models In Halston’s Fall 1972 Ready-To-Wear Collection. Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Shutterstock

Two Brothers At Their Joint Wedding. 1970’s

Sigourney Weaver At The Tail O’ The Pup, La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 1978

At Home With Harrison Ford, 1978

Kate Bush, London, March 1978

Jonathan Frid Crowns Christine Domaniecki “Miss American Vampire” (1970)

George Harrison & Stevie Nicks , 1978

Grace Jones, The Palace, Paris, 1978

‘how To Survive A Disco Attack’ - 1977

Happy 1979

Sharon Tate Photographed By Gene Gutowski On Their Christmas Holiday In Italy, 25 December 1968

A Young Steve Martin Ironing A Cat, 1970s

Madonna Photographed By Her Boyfriend Dan Gilroy On The Bus In New York, 1979

A Steward Slices Meat For Passengers On Sas Scandinavian Airlines, 1969

Margaux Hemingway Photographed By David Hume Kennedy In Havana, Cuba (1978)

Robert De Niro On The Set Of Taxi Driver, 1976

Girl On A Beach In Oahu, Hawaii, 1973. Photo By Nick Dewolf

Willem Dafoe In The Wooster Group’s “Point Judith (An Epilog)” (1979), Produced At The Envelope In New York City. Photo By Nancy Campbell

Danny Trejo And His 3rd Wife Joanne In 1976

A Woman Known As “Disco Sally” Dances With Her Husband At Studio 54, 1978

Swiss Photo Reporter Willy Spiller Captured The Grit Of The NYC Subway In The 70s

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Fleetwood Mac Photographed By Sam Emerson - 1977

Bill Murray At Elvis’s Funeral, 1977

Chevy Chase Late 70s

Varna Restaurant, Århus, Denmark, 1971. Designed By Verner Panton

Robert Plant Performs Live At The Oakland Coliseum On July 23, 1977 In Oakland, California

Anjelica Huston Wearing The Jealous Husband (1940) By Alexander Calder, 1976

Paul And Linda Self-Portrait. London, 1970

Diana Ross Photographed By Frank Carrol (1969)

Shelley Duvall In Photo Booths, 1970s

George Harrison Polaroids

Stevie Nicks And Lindsey Buckingham Performing At A Wedding In 1971

That 70’s Wedding

Natalie Wood Style From 1968 To 1971

Cher

Goldie Hawn Style From The 70s

Saint Petersburg, Florida, 1973. Photo By Jonathan S. Blair