Friday, January 22, 2010

Richard Nixon Vienna Photos

After digitalizing my photo archive it's now easier to share some photos. Here are a few shots I made in the early 80ies (1980 to be exact) and that I haven't published before.
Richard Nixon (President of the United States from 1969 to 1974) spent a couple of times in Austria (mostly Salzburg and Vienna). He explained to have pleasant memories of Vienna.
A typical street in Vienna in the early 80ies.
He was the first US President that visited China (1972). As a gift he gave 2 beautiful handicrafted porcelaine swans to Mao Zedong.
The busline #13 ("DreiZehner") was still active.
Brief Biography of Richard Milhous Nixon. For the presidency he was nominated by the Republicans ('Grand Old Party').
The Schönbrunn Castle.
You might like to check the profile of the 37th President which includes video and audio galleries along with his biography, a timeline and transcripts of major speeches.
Oh, these newest Mercedes-cars and the security stuff draw our attention.
The world situation in 1980 was ... difficult ... well ... as always ... like today.
Aha, seems like somebody important paid a visit to Schönbrunn Castle.
In the time of his 'reign' or lets say government, he also had to deal with intensive anti war demonstrations.
Now it's clear. Here is Mr. Nixon, former US President.
For hundreds of years Vienna has been a meeting point for important personalities.
Even though we are Austrians :) we know his face well.
Since 1980 it seems that Europe and the USA are drifting more and more in direction to the political right side. Citizens (and rural folks too) experience increasing totalitarity and a decrease of privacy. However this must not be a typical 'right wing attitude' because we know this phenomenon from the socialist and communist countries too.
And here a close up. You can click on the photo to enlarge it (like all the others).
In 1980 the novell of George Orwell ' 1984 ' was a matter of the future. Now it's a matter of the past.
And who is this person right besides Mr. Nixon? I don't know. You might guess.
And the world might have become a mixture of '1984' and Huxleys 'Brave New World'.
Wow, I get a smile. Thank you!
Last year, in 2009 I made a post which became quite popular-it contained some photos of Viennese aspects that tourists normally don't see. I called this post 'Vienna Calling'. The title is from a song of the (now gone) singer Falco.
Bye, bye.
So ... thank you for joining me in my journey through time into the year 1980. 'See' you :)

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