AA-2026-D1883D
On the image
Winter, in its ongoing project to make everything equally inconvenient, often creates moments of unexpected artistry. Here, an evergreen tree has been encased in a thick layer of freezing rain, transforming flexible needles into rigid, crystalline structures.
The person documenting this likely began with the sensible expectation of a winter scene, only to discover their yard had become an abstract sculpture garden, albeit one with no practical function beyond reminding everyone that the power might go out. It's a temporary marvel.
This was the kind of event in the 1970s that would prompt local news to send a reporter out to stand next to an iced-over shrub, making serious pronouncements about dangerous driving conditions, whilst the beauty of it was simultaneously taken for granted.
The historian's note
This image documents the aftermath of an ice storm, a common winter weather phenomenon where freezing rain coats surfaces with a layer of ice. The photograph captures the detailed formation of ice on the needles of an evergreen tree, likely a pine or fir.
Such events can cause widespread disruption, including power outages and hazardous travel conditions, but also create striking visual landscapes. The distinct colouration in the image suggests it was captured on colour transparency film common in the 1970s, which can exhibit colour shifts over time.
The photograph serves as a record of natural winter conditions and the aesthetic appeal found within them, typical of amateur and semi-professional photography from the period.
Subjects & keywords — each links to a search
Visually related — by likeness
Ice-Coated Evergreen, 1970s Winter. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-D1883D. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/ice-coated-evergreen-1970s-winter.
@misc{aaAA2026D1883D,
title = {Ice-Coated Evergreen, 1970s Winter},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-D1883D},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/ice-coated-evergreen-1970s-winter}
}TY - ART TI - Ice-Coated Evergreen, 1970s Winter PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-D1883D UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/ice-coated-evergreen-1970s-winter ER -
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