From Jamie Lee Curtis to Madonna: Unseen Snapshots from the 70s

This article was originally published on worldtravelling.com and has been republished here with permission.

The 1970s was a captivating era that bore an unmistakable aura, a vibe that simply refused to be ignored. These spectacular photographs from the 70s are bursting with the decade’s exhilarating spirit, compelling you to stop and savor their beauty. They take you on a journey, revealing a world vastly different from ours today, yet only a few decades away in the rearview mirror. Discovering these timeless gems for the first time could offer a remarkable shift in perspective.

Every snapshot here has a hidden detail, a concealed nuance you’d miss casually. A seemingly standard photograph of Lynda Carter, for instance, possesses far more depth and detail than initially apparent – you just need to know where to cast your gaze.

A seldom-seen photograph of Lynda Carter from 1976

By the time 1976 rolled around, Lynda Carter had become a teenage boy’s dream, gracing the walls of countless bedrooms thanks to her unforgettable performance in Wonder Woman. Starting as a beauty pageant winner and singer, Carter seamlessly transitioned into her role as the crime-fighting Amazonian princess. She once elaborated on the nuances behind her character’s wardrobe choices during the 70s, hinting that there was more than what met the eye.

She said: “I never really thought of Wonder Woman as a super-racy character. She wasn’t out there being predatory. She was saying: ‘You have a problem with a strong woman? I am who I am; get over it.’ I never played her as mousy. I played her as being for women, not against men. For fair play and fair pay.”

Do you recall Susan Sarandon’s portrayal of Hattie in the 1978 classic Pretty Baby?

Susan Sarandon’s diverse acting journey has seen her play romantic leads, menacing villains, and characters teetering on the edge of crisis, like Hattie in Pretty Baby. She attributes some of her remarkable intensity in the movie to the unique environment at the time – a supposedly haunted house.

“I got pneumonia, also, in New Orleans. When filming Pretty Baby, we worked in an old house on St. Charles Street named the Columns Hotel. They said it was haunted. They were gonna tear it down, but we fixed it for the movie, and they saved it. I loved the wallpaper. Everybody said it was haunted. It had real big bathtubs you could float full-length in,” she said.

Unseen picture of Madonna at 21, in 1979

A young Madonna dreamt of nothing but performing in front of massive crowds. Initially aspiring to be a dancer, she also dabbled in acting in her friends’ films. Being the oldest of eight children, she was often tasked with caring for her younger siblings while her parents were at work.

This responsibility involved cooking, cleaning, and ensuring her siblings had everything necessary for their well-being. Despite taking on these adult roles, she harbored resentment for being thrust into such mature duties.

Tanya Roberts exhibited a unique talent for donning strategically positioned loincloths

While Tanya Roberts may not have achieved mainstream stardom, she enjoys a cult following thanks to her roles in the 007 series, Tourist Trap, and the original Beastmaster film. In a conversation with Fangoria, she elucidated why she opted for a role in a fantasy movie about a barbarian who can command animals.

She said: “I chose The Beastmaster because it allowed me to slip into movies without getting the book thrown at me. The movie wasn’t built around me. I was just an actor in it, and it was a good chance to be seen.”