BackHeritage » Saigon » [Photos] Life on Saigon Streets in 1971 Through the Lens of an American Soldier

If you were born when these photos were taken, you would be 47 years old now.

In this collection of photos of old Saigon, taken by American solider, Douglas Elgin, the southern Vietnamese metropolis could almost pass for a town in Europe or the US. Colorful banners in English and throngs of automobiles on the streets contribute to the city’s cosmopolitan vibe. Nonetheless, the sight of ladies in white áo dài and street vendors assure viewers that Saigon still retained much of its unique culture.

Have a gander at what our beloved city looked like in 1971 through the film photos below:

[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]


Related Articles:

[Photos] Saigon of the Late 1960s Through an American's Lens

[Photos] 21 Snapshots of Downtown Saigon in 1967

[Photos] A Montage of Saigon's Street Life from 1964-1968


Related Articles

in Saigon

10 Old Photos Of Carriages In Saigon

Before motorized transportation was the norm in Saigon, horse-drawn carts were used to move both goods and people.

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Advertisements in Saigon

Before 1975, large advertisements were commonplace in Saigon. But after the American War and the fall of capitalism in the South, ads were considered a vestige of the old order and were heavily regula...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Art Deco Buildings in Saigon

Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures whic...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Cars in Saigon

Though cars have been present in the country since the turn of the 20th century, decades of war (1941 – 1975) and an economic stagnation (1975 – 1986) drastically reduced the number of automobiles in ...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of People in Saigon

We often look to old buildings in order reconnect with the past since they are clear and static reference points. Though useful, another important window into the past is the day-to-day lives of peopl...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Workers in Saigon

As Vietnam's economy has become increasingly intertwined with the global free market over the past decade, some elements of Saigon's pre-war, western-oriented economy have reappeared - Factories aroun...

Partner Content