BackHeritage » Saigon » 40 Nostalgic Photos Of 1961 Saigon From Life Magazine

40 Nostalgic Photos Of 1961 Saigon From Life Magazine

When Life Magazine photographer, John Dominis, traveled to Saigon in 1961, he spent most of his trip photographing daily life in the city. With his camera, he captured downtown Saigon’s busy streets, full of classic cars, Vespas driven by seemingly indifferent, sunglass-clad men and plenty of bicycles.


Related Articles:

Travel Back In Time With These 15 Photos Of 1929 Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Then And Now

17 Sky-High Photos Of 2002 Saigon


Women’s fashion during this time was a mix of Western glasses frames and traditional au dai while cyclos seemed to be used predominantly for personal transport as opposed to moving goods and construction material across the city as is the case today. 

While Dominis’ photos have become an important record of Saigon’s mid-century history, the photographer is perhaps best known for his photo of American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in the air at the 1968 Summer Olympics to show support for the American Civil Rights Movement. 

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 (and History) of the Saigon Opera House

The Saigon Opera House (aka the Municipal Theatre) is one of Saigon’s oldest buildings and one of the city’s best examples of classical French architecture. Constructed at the turn of the 20th century...

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...

Partner Content