5.19.2011

{gallery} the depression in color

my best friend benjamin discovered a collection of photos this week that i find mesmerizing, poignant, and beautiful...

Color America

it is a series of images in the united states between 1939 -> 1943 from the library of congress exhibit "bound for glory: america in color" shared via the denver post photo blog...

Color America

these pictures were taken by photographers of the farm security administration/office of war information and are some of the only color photographs which capture the impact of the great depression on small town life during that time...

Color America

it was extremely difficult for me to choose just three to illustrate the spirit of the entire gallery. i hope these three will inspire you to look at the rest...there are so many breathtaking photos in the collection.

wishing you a lovely weekend, my friends!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

these are fantastic. there are quite a few available via Flickr Commons as well. I often find myself browsing over there. but I hadn't seen these. thanks for sharing :)

elena nuez said...

son fantasticas!!!!
gracias por este regalo, me encantan!!!
Felíz fin de semana!!!

Unknown said...

how interesting. that last one is particularly fascinating. it's wonderful that these exist and have been preserved.

ALFIE said...

diane. these photos have my jaw dropped---and have made my morning entirely. how fantastic are they??!! love!

ps: the dandelion syrup is wonderful. it tastes like a rustic honey---and the main ingrediant is FREE! so simple and satisfying.!

Anonymous said...

I gasped just now, isn't it funny how b&w VS. color makes you perceive things in a whole different way? The color makes the depression seem less depressing. These are really great!!

cb said...

wow these are really amazing. the last one is so perfect, the coloring the setting and just so peaceful!

xo,
cb

Unknown said...

It is so surreal to see images from that time in color. Thanks for sharing!

Rebecca said...

I loved seeing the pictures that Farm Security/War department took at the Quilts of Gee's Bend exhibit when it was at the DeYoung. These are some real treasures! It would be great to see a collection of everything they have.

Jo said...

These photos are so beautiful!! I am definitely inspired to look at the rest of the gallery. Thank you!!
xox

keishua said...

These are great. Most of the one's I've seen are black and white. I love that we are able to peer into history and observe the average person's life because of projects like this.
Hope your monday is going well.

Nikki Mortham said...

beautiful colors in these!
nikki

diane said...

petra...i need to visit flickr commons more often. i think i would love it.

elena...muchas gracias! xo

alfie...happy to have contributed to a jaw-dropping morning. thank you for the dandelion syrup update - yum!

felicity...yes, the presence of color shifts things so much for me. finally, we're seeing it the way it looked to the humans perceiving life at that time.

cb...the last one is one of my favorites. my heart is captured by the little girl in the garden.

celina...completely surreal!

becca...i imagine those gee's bend photos were breathtaking.

jo...with pleasure, my dear.

keishua...i love that too. we are all connected, and work like this shows that connection.

nikki...yes, so vibrant.