AA-2026-156463
On the image
A casual observer might describe this as "a big rock." Geologists, with their peculiar need for precise jargon, would call it "stratified sedimentary rock exposed by erosion." The photographer, likely equipped with a new 35mm camera in the 1970s, simply saw something worth turning into a slide.
The visible layers of stone represent millions of years of geological boredom, followed by violent upheaval, and then the slow, inevitable process of falling apart. Nature has a very long attention span, unlike the typical viewer of a vacation slide show.
Trees cling tenaciously to the thin soil above, their bare branches suggesting a season when "staring at rocks" becomes a perfectly acceptable outdoor activity. A prominent tree trunk in the foreground confidently obscures a good portion of the view, ensuring that even nature knows how to make an artistic statement, intentional or not.
The historian's note
This image captures an exposed rock face within a forested area, dating to the 1970s. The visible stratification indicates a sedimentary geological formation, characteristic of many regions where ancient marine sediments have been lithified and subsequently uplifted and eroded.
The scene suggests a temperate climate with deciduous trees, likely photographed during late autumn or winter due to the bare branches and leaf litter. The image documents a typical natural landscape without specific identifying features.
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Stratified Rock Face in Forest, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-156463. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/stratified-rock-face-in-forest-1970s.
@misc{aaAA2026156463,
title = {Stratified Rock Face in Forest, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-156463},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/stratified-rock-face-in-forest-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Stratified Rock Face in Forest, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-156463 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/stratified-rock-face-in-forest-1970s ER -
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