Pictures of America in Crisis and Cure 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 record changes in the American environment. DOCUMERICA resulted in a collection of more than 20,000 photographs by its conclusion in 1978. Here's a selection of color pictures of America in crisis and cure in the 1970s.

Water cooling towers of the John Amos Power Plant loom over a home located across the Kanawha River, near Poca, West Virginia, in August of 1973. (Harry Schaefer/NARA)

One of four bicyclists holds her ears against the roar of the jet taking off from National Airport in Washington, D.C., in May of 1973. (John Neubauer/NARA)

Clark Avenue and Clark Avenue bridge, looking east from West 13th Street, obscured by industrial smoke, in Cleveland, Ohio, in July of 1973. (Frank J. Aleksandrowicz/NARA)

Balloon logging in the Culp Creek drainage area of Oregon, near Eugene. (NARA)

A mountain of damaged oil drums lies in a heap in an Exxon refinery near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in December of 1972. (John Messina/NARA)

Black & White Photos of HMV Shop in Oxford Street, London in the 1950s

Procession in celebration of the crowning of Queen Elizabeth, 2nd 1953

Christmas 1956

Interior of store, 1958

Shop floor, 1958

Household appliance section on lower ground floor, 1950s

A couple of Mickeys, ca. 1940

A Look Inside a Tokyo Bath House in 1951

New York. IRT construction at Union Square, June 8, 1901

Unbelievably Haunting Vintage Photos from The Circus

JoJo, the “Dog face Boy.” (1900). Hulton Archive / Stringer

Clementine Clatteaux Delait a bearded lady. (1907). Topical Press Agency / Stringer

German strongman Eugene Sandow and Goliath wrestling with “a bear.” (1910). Hulton Archive / Stringer

Anita, ‘the Living Doll’, sits for a portrait. (1912). Topical Press Agency / Stringer

A circus elephant balances on its front legs. (1920). General Photographic Agency / Stringer

Bizarre Pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio Photographed by David LaChapelle in 1995

David LaChapelle is known internationally for his exceptional talent in combining a unique hyper-realistic aesthetic with profound social messages.

LaChapelle’s photography career began in the 1980’s when he began showing his artwork in New York City galleries. His work caught the eye of Andy Warhol, who offered him his first job as a photographer at Interview Magazine. His photographs of celebrities in Interview garnered positive attention, and before long he was shooting for a variety of top editorial publications and creating some of the most memorable advertising campaigns of his generation.

LaChapelle’s striking images have graced the covers and pages of Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Rolling Stone and i-D, and he has photographed some of the most recognizable faces on the planet, including Tupac Shakur, Madonna, Eminem, Andy Warhol, Philip Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Pamela Anderson, Lil’ Kim, Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Taylor, David Beckham, Jeff Koons, Leonardo DiCaprio...

Here, below is a selection of bizarre pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio photographed by LaChapelle in 1995. In an interview with The Times he said: "I think Leo Di Caprio is still pissed off about posing with those bananas"

Two young women enjoying themselves on a rollercoaster at Southend Fair, ca. 1938

Two young women enjoying themselves on a rollercoaster at Southend Fair, England, ca. 1938.
Photo: Kurt Hutton/ Getty Images.

Pictures of London RTs in the 1970s

Coney Island, July 4, 1946