AA-2026-55F361
On the image
Miles of steel lattice rise against the sky, each structure a monument to the human desire for more fuel. The 1970s were a time when the landscape was considered a raw resource, waiting to be engineered into utility. These derricks are the physical manifestation of that belief.
Each tall derrick marked a new attempt to tap into the earth's reserves, a persistent gamble that usually paid off. The smaller, nodding pumpjacks below handle the less glamorous, but equally critical, work of continuously extracting crude oil. Nobody questioned the necessity, only the efficiency.
The entire scene embodies a confident era of industrial expansion, where the solution to any problem involving natural resources was always 'more infrastructure.' It's the kind of complex engineering that promised endless energy, a promise that seemed entirely reasonable at the time.
The historian's note
This photograph, captured in the 1970s, illustrates an active oilfield, featuring numerous oil derricks and pumpjacks. Oil derricks are tall, permanent structures used primarily for drilling new oil wells, while pumpjacks (also known as 'nodding donkeys' or 'sucker rod pumps') are mechanical systems employed to lift crude oil from wells that lack sufficient natural pressure to bring the oil to the surface.
The 1970s were a pivotal decade for energy, characterised by significant oil crises and increasing awareness of global energy reliance. Domestic oil production, as depicted here, was a critical component of national energy security strategies during this period.
The image captures the intensive industrial scale of fossil fuel extraction prevalent in the era, highlighting the widespread infrastructure dedicated to petroleum acquisition.
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Oilfield Derricks and Pumpjacks, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-55F361. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/oilfield-derricks-and-pumpjacks-1970s.
@misc{aaAA202655F361,
title = {Oilfield Derricks and Pumpjacks, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-55F361},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/oilfield-derricks-and-pumpjacks-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Oilfield Derricks and Pumpjacks, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-55F361 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/oilfield-derricks-and-pumpjacks-1970s ER -
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