Exploring Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage Through Photography
Dive into Afghanistan's rich history and culture captured through William Podlich's evocative photographs, reflecting a vibrant past overshadowed by conflict.
The Editors·
The following piece by William Podlich was published by The Essential Edge 21 March, 2013.
Then…
The Kabul in William Podlich’s photographs is an almost unrecognizable place — a bustling capital of nattily attired men and women, many wearing Western dress; modern cars; and green parks. A place where women — Afghans and foreigners — could freely walk the streets. A peaceful place where tourists, unconcerned for their safety, could take buses to the major historic sites in the country or across the border to Pakistan.
In 1967, Podlich, a professor at Arizona State University, began a two-year stint in Afghanistan with UNESCO, teaching at the Higher Teachers College in Kabul. He brought along his wife, Margaret, and Peg and Jan, his two teenaged daughters.
Podlich, an amateur photographer, recorded his adventures in hundreds of photographs that his family is now sharing with the world. Podlich retired from Arizona State in 1981 and died in 2008 at the age of 92.
And Now!
“When I look at my dad’s photos, I remember Afghanistan as a country with thousands of years of history and culture,” Peg Podlich told “The Denver Post,” which worked with the family to first publish the photos. “It has been a gut-wrenching experience to watch and hear about the profound suffering which has occurred in Afghanistan during the battles of war for nearly 40 years. Fierce and proud yet fun-loving people have been beaten down by terrible forces.”
Clayton Esterson, Peg Podlich’s husband, who has assumed the role of archivist for the photographs, is maintaining a website where they can be viewed. He told “The Denver Post”: “Many Afghans have written comments showing their appreciation for the photographs that show what their country was like before 33 years of war. This makes the effort to digitize and restore these photographs worthwhile.” To see all 26 photos couretsy of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, please click HERE.