Seeing The Past In Color

Let's try a quick experiment.  Close your eyes, wait read this sentence first and then close your eyes: Picture a family during the Great Depression.  Was the photo in your mind sepia-toned?  Plain old black and white?  A friend recently posted a link to images by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information.  Reportedly they are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations.  Click over and check out all 70 of the photos the Denver Post is hosting on their photo blog, but here are some of my favorites.

Garden adjacent to the dugout home of Jack Whinery, homesteader. Pie Town, New Mexico, September 1940. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Russell Lee. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress:

 

Children gathering potatoes on a large farm. Vicinity of Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine, October 1940. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress:

 

Children stage a patriotic demonstration. Southington, Connecticut, May 1942. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Fenno Jacobs. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (my mother was in neighboring New Britain not quite a year old):

 

At Beecher Street School. Southington, Connecticut, May 1942. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Fenno Jacobs. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (my cousins grew up in Southington, but I don't think this school was still in existence by the time they came along):

 

And I love the victory garden poster behind the seated girl.  Now close your eyes and picture the depression, have your images changed to color?  Mine have.

Comments

[Mummer]

I am so impressed with these photos - did you notice the collards in that first garden shot?

[Caroline]

I've always loved looking at these photos. The LOC has uploaded lots as part of the Flickr Commons project. It's hard to believe these were shot so long ago; the quality is incredible!

It really does change your mind's picture of the era.

[Heather's Garden]

Mom -- I love everything about that first photo. I would love to get my hands on a good sized print of it. I'll have to research that.

Caroline -- I love looking at old photos too. I didn't know about the Flickr Commons project, thanks for sharing.