Fascinating Photos Of 1960s Afghanistan Before The Taliban

Dr. Bill Podlich Captures The Heart Of 1960s Afghanistan

The peaceful hues and smiling faces that fill images of 1960s Afghanistan are a far cry from today's photos of a country struggling with violence and corruption — which is just one reason this collection has never been more important.

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 promote 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 building relationships with his Afghani cohorts, Podlich developed something else: his Kodachrome film, which captured a modernizing and peaceful Afghanistan that stands in stark contrast to the harrowing images from 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."