Arches National Park
AA-2026-9697E7
On the image
These rock formations have stood in a desert for millions of years, largely ignoring the specific decade tourists come to look at them. In the 1970s, people drove their large, inefficient cars through places like this, often with the air conditioning on high, to appreciate 'natural beauty.'
The formations themselves have names now, assigned by humans who felt it was important to label things that existed long before language. Geologists study the layers, confirming that erosion is a thing that happens, very slowly, over vast stretches of time.
They still stand, mostly unchanged since anyone first bothered to take a photograph. The blue sky remains blue. The rocks continue to be rocks, a consistent feature in an ever-changing world of fashion and automotive design.
The historian's note
This photograph depicts the Courthouse Towers area within Arches National Park, Utah. The prominent formations include features like The Three Gossips and other large fins and monoliths characteristic of the park.
These structures are primarily composed of Entrada Sandstone, a Jurassic-era formation, sculpted over millennia by wind and water erosion, a process accelerated by the underlying salt beds of the Paradox Formation. The arid climate of southeastern Utah contributes to the dramatic, exposed landscapes.
Arches National Park, established as a national monument in 1938 and upgraded to a national park in 1971, saw a significant increase in tourism during the 1970s as national parks became increasingly popular destinations for road trips and appreciation of natural landscapes.
Subjects & keywords — each links to a search
Visually related — by likeness
Arches National Park Rock Formations, Utah, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-9697E7. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/arches-national-park-rock-formations-utah-1970s.
@misc{aaAA20269697E7,
title = {Arches National Park Rock Formations, Utah, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-9697E7},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/arches-national-park-rock-formations-utah-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Arches National Park Rock Formations, Utah, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-9697E7 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/arches-national-park-rock-formations-utah-1970s ER -
From the community
Identifications, corrections, and discussion from readers — reviewed by a librarian before appearing here.
Sign in to add an identification, correction, or comment.
No notes yet — be the first to add what you know about this image.