DISCUSSION TOPIC: THE FSA PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT OF THE 1930S

Introduction

"You could feel the Depression deepen," noted the writer Caroline Bird, "but you could not look out the window and see it."  The Photo Section of the New Deal's Farm Security Administration struggled, in important ways, to meet Bird's challenge.  Beginning in 1936, a small number of individuals under the guidance of Columbia professor Roy Stryker traveled the nation in an effort to capture images of suffering and resilience.  In so doing, they bequeathed to social historians a rich record of American history during this particular time period.  In total, they took some 300,000 photos.  Although these photos have not yet all been digitalized, a sizeable percentage are available through the Library of Congress web-site.

Your Mission

1)  Pick one of the photographers listed below.  Combine very basic biographical research with extensive browsing in the Farm Security Administration photographic archive (the FSA photos for each photographer are placed as the first link under his or her name in the Resources section on this page).  Focus in upon the 1930s-era experiences of your individual even for your biographical research, though you should try to place these within the context of an overall life and career.  Write a short entry in the Discussion Forum that includes some significant detail about your documentarian and that highlights your response to this exercise.  Optional:  Come to class ready to show a few photos that captured your imagination or attach a PDF file to the Discussion Forum that combines photos and some commentary.

2)  Spend several minutes browsing in the following U.S. Library Of Congress web-site:   .  How does looking in at colour images of the 1930s change our understanding of or at least our "feel" for the Great Depression?

The Photographers

• Jack Delano

• Walker Evans

• Dorothea Lange

• Russell Lee

• Marion Post Wolcott

• Arthur Rothstein

• Ben Shahn

• John Vachon

Some Resources

General Resources

• Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information -- Black-And-White Negatives:  The web-site for the entire Library of Congress FSA 1930s-era photo collection.

• People's America -- Farm Security Administration Photographs:

• Celebrating New Deal Arts And Cultures:

• Farm Security Administration -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• The 1930s-1940s In Color -- Flickr:  The Library of Congress collection posted on Flickr.

Jack Delano

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Jack Delano:

• David Gonzalez, "Jack Delano's American Sonata," New York Times, October 13, 2011.

Walker Evans

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Walker Evans:

• Walker Evans Revolutionizes Documentary Photography:

• Walker Evans -- Photography And The Great Depression:

• Walker Evans -- The J. Paul Getty Museum:

• Let Us Now Praise Famous Men -- Violette Editions:

Dorothea Lange

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Dorothea Lange:

• Dorothea Lange -- Photography And The Great Depression:

• History Place -- Dorothea Lange:

• Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) -- A Photographic Journey:  A small virtual feature from the Gendell Gallery.

• Great Depression In Washington State -- Dorothea Lange Yakima Valley Collection:

Russell Lee

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Russell Lee:

• Russell Lee Collection -- Wittliff Gallery Of Southwestern And Mexican Photography:

• Compassionate Lens -- University Of Texas:

• Russell Lee -- Flickr:  The Library of Congress photos on Flickr.

Marion Post Wolcott

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Marion Post-Wolcott:

• Marion Post Wolcott (1910-1990) -- A Biographical Essay:

• Marion Post Wolcott -- Photography For The Farm Security Administration:

Arthur Rothstein

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Arthur Rothstein:

• Arthur Rothstein -- Photography And The Great Depression:

• Arthur Rothstein Archive -- FSA Years:

Ben Shahn

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- Ben Shahn:

• Ben Shahn's Pictures Of Utopia In America's Great Depression:

John Vachon

•   Farm Security Administration/Office Of War Information Black-and-White Negatives -- John Vachon:

• John Vachon -- Spartacus Educational: