20140730

Photos Of 1960s Afghanistan

The peaceful hues of 1960s Afghanistan paint a far different picture of the country embroiled with corruption and struggle. In 1967, Arizona State University professor Dr. Bill Podlich and his family swapped the stark, sultry summers of Tempe, Arizona for the environs of Kabul, Afghanistan. After serving in World War II, Podlich wanted to partake in a cause for peace and for that reason, he teamed up with UNESCO to work for two years at the Higher Teachers College of Kabul, Afghanistan. With him were his children, Jan and Peg, along with his wife Margaret.
When not developing relationships with his Afghani cohorts, Podlich developed his Kodachrome film, capturing a modernizing and peaceful Afghanistan that belies the harrowing images and thoughts associated with the war-torn country we see today. That is why, in Peg Podlich’s eyes, her father’s photos are so incredibly important. Says Podlich, these photos “can encourage folks to see Afghanistan and its people as they were and could be. It is important to know that we have more in common with people in other lands than what separates us.

Picnic In Afghanistan In The 1960s
Afghani men out for a picnic.


  1. 1960s Afghanistan Photo
Peg Podlich on a trip from Kabul to Peshawar, Pakistan.


  1.   
Kabul Afghanistan In The 1960s
Dr. Bill Podlich on a hillside in Kabul.



Istalif In 1960s Afghanistan
Men looking over Istalif, a centuries-old center for pottery.

Buddha Statue In Afghanistan
A Buddha statue in Bamiyan Valley. In 2001, the Taliban destroyed the two largest ones.

8 of 30
Decorating Cakes
An Afghan boy decorating cakes.

1960s Afghanistan Photograph
A Senior English class at the American International School of Kabul.

School In 1960s Afghanistan
Young students in a playground.

Teachers College In Kabul
Students at the Higher Teachers College of Kabul where Dr. Podlich taught for two years with UNESCO.


  1. Afghani Military Band 1960s
An Afghani military band.

1960s Afghanistan 18
Afghan repairmen in Kabul.

Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque, built in the early 20th century under the reign of Amanullah Khan.


  1. American International School In Kabul
Parking lot of the American International School of Kabul.



 
School In Afghanistan
A chemistry lesson in a mud-walled classroom.
 
Streets Of Kabul In 1960s Afghanistan
Sisters milling the streets of Kabul.

Bamiyan Valley 1960s Afghanistan
Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley, home to numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries as well as Islamic edifices.

Jilabee
A man preparing jilabee, a sweet dessert.

Photographs Of Afghanistan In 1960
Two Afghani men walking home.


  1.  
Girls In Afghanistan 1960s
Afghan girls coming home from school. Both Afghan boys and girls were educated until the high school level.


  1. Teachers In Afghanistan
Two Afghan teachers at the Higher Teachers College.

Khyber Pass Afghanistan
A stop during the Podlich family's bus trip through the Khyber Pass.

Arriving In Kabul In The 1960s
Peg Podlich arriving in Kabul
at