Time for a quick round-up of 1970s-related stories in the news. Today, we take a look at photos of Harlem in the 70s, find out why Denver, Colorado was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics and then turned them down and read up on half a dozen little-known facts about TV’s The Jeffersons.

’70s Portrait of Harlem

Harlem, late 1970s by Dawoud Bey via NY Times

The New York Times has a story on photographer Dawoud Bey and his exhibit of tasteful shots taken in Harlem in the late 1970s. View some wonderful photos.

NY Times Quote:

“This summer at the Art Institute of Chicago, for the first time since the 1979 Studio Museum show, his Harlem series is being exhibited in its entirety…By the mid-’70s (Bey) was using a single-lens reflex camera and had started taking the Harlem street photographs that would eventually make up the Studio Museum show. Unlike most street photographers he worked slowly, taking few pictures and making an average of only three exposures of each subject.”

Why Denver Said ‘No’ to the ’76 Olympics

Mental_floss reports on the awarding of the 1976 Olympics to Denver and how the city eventually said “No, thanks” and turned them down. Innsbruk, Austria picked them up. Explore this interesting Olympics story.

Mental_floss Quote:

“In May 1970 the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics to Denver, which edged out Sion, Switzerland, Tampere, Finland, and Vancouver. Denver’s politicians and media rejoiced; getting the Games was a major coup for them. Colorado had been trying to nab the Winter Olympics for nearly 20 years.”

RIP Sherman Hemsley: Six stories about The Jeffersons

Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson, 1975. (Video grab: Bionic Disco)

Also at mental_floss we have a story entitled, “RIP Sherman Hemsley: 6 Stories About The Jeffersons.” Find out about how George Jefferson got his start, the actor who first played the role prior to Sherman Hemsley and more on Isabel Sanford who played “Weezy” and how she was 10-years older than Hemsley.

Mental_floss Quote:

“‘Movin’ On Up,’ the toe-tappin’, gospel-flavored theme song for The Jeffersons, was co-written by Jeff Barry and Ja’Net Dubois. Barry was a veteran Brill Building songwriter with hits like ‘Leader of the Pack’ in his portfolio; Dubois was best known as gossipy neighbor Willona Woods on another popular African-American sitcom, Good Times. Ja’Net belted out the lyrics with such confidence that it’s hard to believe that ‘Movin’ On Up’ marked her debut as a professional singer.”