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I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying aircraft. Yet I could leave what seemed like a war zone. And it was a kind of war, long-time residents trying for normalcy and the powers that be wanting them out.

Michael: Thanks for your comments. How exciting to hear from the DOCUMERICA photographer responsible for this dramatic image! Jerry Simmons (U.S. National Archives)

Wow. This was one of the first photos from the collection I clicked on - then realized why the image drew me: I was 12 years old and lived a few blocks away. This WAS everyday life for my family. I remember having to stop talking on the telephone every few minutes when an airplane passed overhead.

Paul-W: Thanks for your comments about this very dramatic image! We hope you will view the other images Michael Philip Manheim contributed to the DOCUMERICA project. Some of his photographs feature residents from the Neptune Road neighborhood, some of whom you might recognize. Jerry (U.S. National Archives)

What an interesting image and series of comments. I admit, being a dedicated airliner enthusiast, it was the airplane aspect that got me to click on it but there's so much more to it than that. I live in Southern California, and the way the trees and sidewalks and houses are arranged seems so old-fashioned compared to "modern" tightly-packed planned communities such as the one I lived in until recently. Then there's the whole aspect of having to actually live under the constant noise of an active airport, and the conflicting interests of commerce of the airport users and well-being of the citizens underneath it, which this image evokes well. Anyway, sorry for the long comment, but it's great to see this sort of image preserved in this format for the whole internet-going public to see.

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They should have used Kodachome slide film. These pictures are pretty degraded. Too bad.

It's the still under construction Volpe International Terminal (now Terminal E) in the foreground.