Smog Check 1975

by  Michael Satterfield

Photojournalist Lyntha Scott Eiler spent a day at an Auto Emission Inspection Station in Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio in the August of 1975. It was the first year that Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbon emissions testing was required for all light-duty gasoline powered motor vehicles in Hamilton County.

From motorists with dirty hands, indicating they had just been working on their vehicle prior to testing, to a young woman proudly showing off her "I'm Clean" bumper sticker, Eiler captured a moment in automotive and environmental history in her photos. Enjoy them below.













Prior to this series she was involved in Project Documerica, a project funded by the EPA to record the state of the environment prior to major air and water legislation. You can learn more about her work HERE.

Source: The U.S. National Archives