Title:
Visiting the Nation’s Capital and Small-Town Iowa — Early 1970s
REEL ID:
L053R063A
RUN TIME:
00:09:53
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Color Kodak Kodachrome
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This home movie from the early 1970s documents a family trip that moves from urban sightseeing in the nation’s capital to everyday life in rural Iowa. Shot on color 16mm film without synchronized sound, the footage contrasts formal civic landmarks with intimate moments of family visits and farm life.
The reel opens in a residential neighborhood, where children laugh and play in front yards, a girl sits quietly in the backyard, and a family poses for the camera with their dog. These casual domestic scenes establish the personal tone of the film before the setting shifts to Washington, D.C..
In the capital, children stand proudly in front of the White House, followed by street scenes showing traffic and pedestrians moving through the city. Additional urban views include people standing on a front porch, a train passing through the city, bridges spanning a river, and boats traveling along the water—capturing the scale and activity of Washington, D.C. during the period.
The second half of the reel transitions to rural Iowa, where the family visits friends and relatives. Farm life unfolds with scenes of a farmhouse, barns, and hog operations. Children chase pigs around the farmyard, while wider shots show fields, livestock, and working farm spaces. Downtown businesses in a small Iowa town appear near the end of the reel, grounding the rural scenes in a broader community context.
Together, these images preserve a warm snapshot of early-1970s American life—moving from the national stage of Washington, D.C. to the everyday rhythms of Midwestern family and farm life.
Tags:
Early 1970s, Home movies, 16mm film, Color home movies, Silent film, Family visit, Washington DC, White House, Urban street scenes, Train, River bridge, Boats on river, Iowa, Small-town Iowa, Farm life, Hog farm, Kids on a farm, Farmhouse, Barn, Downtown businesses, Neighborhood life, Family portrait, Dog, Americana, Analog film, Nostalgic footage, Archival home movie
