Where were you when the lights went out?

See here on more parallels between the economic woes of today and the 1970s.

Heading for the Exit Lane

Here's a very thoughtful article (together with some thoughtful responses) about the parallels between the stagflation of the 1970s and today's economic woes.

Deschooling Society

Here's an excerpt from Ivan Illich's Deschooling Society, as interpreted by the Pinky Show. Prescient.

The museum of macroeconomic anxiety

In honour of our readers from the hedge fund world, we offer some resources for exploring the economic landscape of the 1970s in relation to present day dilemmas. Commentary to follow.

1. Inflation - both in labour costs and in raw materials

2. Protectionism

3. Energy crisis

4. Environmentalism

5. Consumerism

6. Automation and new technology restructuring the workplace

7. Globalisation

8. Stagflation

For a vivid saccount of the atmosphere on Wall Street of the time, pre Gordon Gekko, we recommend The Money Game by 'Adam Smith' - thanks to the macro trader for the tip.

Walking mall in Helena, Montana, 1970s

Images of the Montana capital city in the early '70s...

Logotypes

A great album of logotypes from a mid-1970s textbook - World of Logotypes

Wallpaper from the '70s

Here's an interesting online shop where you can buy rolls of great 1970s wallpaper designs.

Hillary and Bill Clinton in the 1970s

How it works - the computer

Great Ladybird book from 1971 reproduced here.

The Usborne book of the future

First published in 1979.

The economic story of 2007

Interesting blog post here:

"The economic story of 2007 isn't Facebook being worth $15bn, its not the subprime mess and the resulting credit crunch, its not the fact that the US economy seems eerily similar to where we were in 1975."

Loraine Leeson: Art for Change

A retrospective of Loraine Leeson's practice over 30 years combining activism, politics and education. Leeson’s grassroots campaigns using classic photomontage techniques are important documents of East London’s rich social history over the last 30 years.

The exhibition Art for Change celebrated Loraine Leeson as an artist whose work has influenced and supported social change for over 30 years. The exhibition presents a retrospective of work from the mid 70s to the present day. Combining activism, politics and education Leeson's collaborative grassroots campaigns are among the most exciting in East London's rich social history.

Touring LA with Rayner Banham

Lovely set of photos on this virtual tour of LA here...for more background see this earlier post

Thamesmead, Riverside School 76 - 78

Fantastic, evocative photo set here.

"In my early days I was employed, at my second school, as a science teacher at Riverside School, Thamesmead. Situtated on the Bexley/London border, it was a relatively new school in a "London" housing estate. Riverside School is now Bexley Business Academy.

I went into teaching full of belief and idealism, knowing that our children had limitless potential. After 5 years I realised that there was no place for idealism in teaching. I left in 1978 not knowing what I would do.

Some of the photographs in this set were shown in a "Half Moon Photogaphy Workshop" exhibition in 1979. I titled the exhibition "Lost at School". Of course I was referring to my own situation, not that of the children in the photographs".

Museum visitors will also, of course, know that Thamesmead was the main location for Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). There's nothing that sinister in these photographs though.

Qdos = whodos??

Not strictly speaking a 1970s post, but I thought the way in which this new 'service' is being marketed smacks of some of the surveillance/identity anxieties tracked elsewhere in this blog...don't really know if its thrilling or chilling....certainly conjures up some sort of big brother moment...