AA-2026-38038C
On the image
A young girl stands in a yard, accessorized with a wide-brimmed hat and red cat-eye sunglasses, perfectly embodying the 1970s parental directive that even casual play required a certain level of coordinated self-presentation. Her striped shirt and patterned shorts are the height of comfort-meets-style for a child of that era, ensuring maximum enjoyment while also appearing camera-ready.
The bright red sunglasses, an adult fashion statement scaled down for a child, give her an air of confident mystery, as if she is about to deliver a critical assessment of the world or simply waiting for her cue. This particular style choice would have been considered peak cool by her peers, or at least by her parents who bought them.
She gazes directly ahead, a quiet testament to a time when children understood that posing for a photograph was a serious, deliberate act, not merely a casual snapshot to be discarded if imperfect. The overall effect is one of contained enthusiasm, a small person perfectly positioned for her moment in the sun, literally and figuratively.
The historian's note
This photograph captures a young girl in an outdoor setting, indicative of common leisure and family life during the 1970s. Her attire, featuring a horizontally striped t-shirt, patterned shorts, a wide-brimmed hat, and red cat-eye sunglasses, reflects popular children's fashion trends of the decade. The emphasis on bright colors, practical fabrics, and scaled-down adult accessories was characteristic of the period.
The scene suggests a typical home environment, likely a backyard or garden area, often used for children's play and informal family photography. Such images contribute to understanding the everyday cultural aesthetics and social norms surrounding childhood during the mid-to-late 20th century in North America.
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Girl in Cat-Eye Sunglasses, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-38038C. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/girl-in-cat-eye-sunglasses-1970s.
@misc{aaAA202638038C,
title = {Girl in Cat-Eye Sunglasses, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-38038C},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/girl-in-cat-eye-sunglasses-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Girl in Cat-Eye Sunglasses, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-38038C UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/girl-in-cat-eye-sunglasses-1970s ER -
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