Promises to Keep: The United States Since the Second World War.

Promises to Keep: The United States Since the Second World War.

Hotshot Eastbound passing the Iaeger Drive-in, Iaeger, West Virginia 1956 (large detail)

Hotshot Eastbound passing the Iaeger Drive-in is one of photographer O. Winston Link's signature images; certainly one of the most often reproduced. Here, on the cover of Paul S. Boyer's history of the United States and its post-war status in the world, we observe in the span of one photo the sweep of progress in modes of transportation, from the locomotive to the automobile to the jet airplane (Link montaged the plane image onto the screen). Also noted is the young couple in the convertable at the drive-in; a classic scene from the '50s, right out of Quentin Tarantino, with the caveat that Tarantino would not be born for another seven years.
Stylistically, Link's photo is slightly cropped and toned blue for the cover, and has a ragged-edge look that is reminiscent of Polaroid positive-negative (Type 55) film.

To view an original version of O. Winston Link's photo, from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, click here.