Taken by an unknown photographer working for the American Department of Defense, these crisp color images capture Hanoi’s 1973 street life on film. Have a look below.

The Ngo Quyen-Trang Tien intersection.

Hanoians waiting to get inside the Cong Nhan Theater for a performance by the Kim Phung cải lương troupe.

Pho Trang Tien.

A Hanoi woman with her children.

A section of the tramway network (now defunct) in front of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.

At a tramway stop.

Morning coffee for a multi-generational family.

Preparing fresh flowers for the altar.

Young kids at a kindergarten in Nghi Tam.

Bikes, white shirts, and pants were the common life necessities of the time.

"Nothing is more valuable than independence and freedom."

The entrance of the General Store on Trang Tien.

On the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake.

At Gia Lam Airport.

A member of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization with her friend.

A young boy wearing a tarp as a raincoat.

A building at the Dien Bien Phu-Hang Bong corner.

A toothy smile.

Traditional musicians and singers during a performance.

Ongoing bridge construction.

[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]