In 1967, Dr William Podlich left his teaching job at a university in the USA and joined UNESCO to train teachers at a college in Kabul, Afghanistan. His wife and two daughters, Peg and Jan, joined him. These images were taken before the Soviet invasion of 1979 and paint a picture of a modern and thriving country, unlike the images of its war-torn present that we associate with today.
“When I look at my dad’s photos, I remember Afghanistan as a country with thousands of years of history and culture,” recalls Peg Podlich. “It has been a gut-wrenching experience to watch and hear about the profound suffering, which has occurred in Afghanistan during the battles of war for nearly 40 years. Fierce and proud yet fun loving people have been beaten down by terrible forces.”
1. Primary school students dance to music on the playground
Dr. William Podlich
2. A classroom under the trees
Dr. William Podlich
3. An Afghan hound
Dr. William Podlich
4. A classroom in a rural school
Dr. William Podlich
5. Rush hour in Kabul
Dr. William Podlich
6. East meets West
Dr. William Podlich
7. Kabul Gorge
Dr. William Podlich
8. The smartly dressed school bus driver
Dr. William Podlich
9. Peg Podlich (in sunglasses) on a bus bound for Peshawar in Pakistan.
Dr. William Podlich
10. Afghan girls returning home from school. Education was open to everyone irrespective of gender.
Dr. William Podlich
11. The Salang Tunnel, located in Parwan province, is a link between northern and southern Afghanistan crossing the Hindu Kush mountain range under the difficult Salang Pass. The Soviet-built tunnel opened in 1964.
Dr. William Podlich
12. Peg and Jan Podlich at Paghwan Gardens. It was destroyed in the 2001 US invasion
Dr. William Podlich
13. A group of young men share tea and music
Dr. William Podlich
14. A man fries 'Jilabee' or Jalebi in the dessert
Dr. William Podlich
15. A staff member of the American International School Kabul (AISK) walks across the parking lot.
Dr. William Podlich
16. Students at the Higher Teachers College of Kabul where Dr. Podlich, the photographer, worked and taught for two years with UNESCO
Dr. William Podlich
17. Peg and her classmates at AISK
Dr. William Podlich
18. Jan Podlich shopping for traditional scarves
Dr. William Podlich
19. A young boy decorates cakes
Dr. William Podlich
20. A little girl strolls in the marketplace with her sister
Dr. William Podlich
21. Guard Duty at the King's Palace
Dr. William Podlich
22. A candid image of an Afghan teacher
Dr. William Podlich
23. A gas station outside Kabul
Dr. William Podlich
24. Kings Hill in Paghman Gardens
Dr. William Podlich
25. Two young Afghan men walking home
Dr. William Podlich
26. A hillside near Kabul
Dr. William Podlich
27. Chemistry being taught in a mud-walled classroom
Dr. William Podlich
28. Masjid Shah-e-do Shamsheera in Kabul
Dr. William Podlich
29. Repair work in progress
Dr. William Podlich
30. The Afghan Army parades through Kabul
Dr. William Podlich
31. Afghan military band
Dr. William Podlich
32. People gathered to celebrate the New Year
Dr. William Podlich
33. A street-side vendor selling kebabs
Dr. William Podlich
34. Laundry and swimming in the Kabul River
Dr. William PodlichLink: http://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/34-images-of-afghanistan-in-the-70s-that-show-how-brutally-terrorism-has-ravaged-the-nation-249625.html
