At the National Archives is a selection of a jaw-dropping collection of photos of the l970's courtesy of, believe it or not, the Environmental Protection Agency.
Yes, inspired by the famous WPA Farm Security Administration project, the EPA hired veteran photographers to document the agency, the nation, and the times, in the Documerica project (l971-1977).
According to a show of some of those images at the National Archives, this is the single most iconic of the thousands of photographs they produced — a hitchhiker with his dog.
Here's the caption, from photographer Charles O'Rear:
"Hitchhiker with his dog, "Tripper", on U.S. 66. U.S. 66 crosses the Colorado River at Topock, May 1972"
Wonder if that barefoot hitchhiker is still around, and if so, where he is now.
Kit Stolz 