Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Astonishing pictures of Afghanistan from before its decades of war
On October 7, the US marked 15 years of military activity in Afghanistan.
Advertisement
And despite over a decades worth of US and NATO military assistance, the country remains deeply troubled with a resurgent Taliban, a highly suspect military, and an economy where the opium industry remains the largest single employer. But before the US invasion, before the Russian war, and before the country's Marxist experiment, Afghanistan used to be a far different place.
An astonishing collection of photos from the 1960s came to light in early 2013.
In the 60s, amateur photographer and college professor Dr. William Podlich took a leave of absence from his job at Arizona State University to work with UNESCO in the Afghan capital of Kabul, bringing his wife and daughters with him.
Later, his son-in-law Clayton Esterson found the late doctor's photos and put them on the web. The response was amazing.
Advertisement
Esterson told the Denver Post: “Many Afghans have written comments [on our website] showing their appreciation for the photographs that show what their country was like before 33 years of war. This makes the effort to digitize and restore these photographs worthwhile.”
An earlier version of this article was produced by Geoffrey Ingersoll.
Advertisement