Fields of Vision Series

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Jack Delano (1914–1997) became interested in photography after studying graphic arts and music at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1939, he joined the Farm Security Administration as a staff photographer. Delano photographed living and working conditions throughout the East Coast and Puerto Rico during his time with the agency. He later settled in Puerto Rico, working as a photographer for the Puerto Rican government and pursuing a myriad of projects in illustration, film, media, and musical composition.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Esther Bubley (1921–1998) was working as a National Archives technician in 1942 when her work caught the eye of Roy Stryker, head of the photographic unit of the Office of War Information (previously the Farm Security Administration). Recognizing her talent, he hired her to cover the home front of World War II, focusing on the lives of ordinary Americans.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Russell Lee (1903–1986) left a career as a chemical engineer to become a painter and later a photographer. In 1936, he was hired by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographic project, where he created some of the most iconic images produced by the FSA, including photographic studies of San Augustine, Texas, and Pie Town, New Mexico, as well as the eviction of Japanese Americans from the West Coast in 1942.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Carl Mydans (1907–2004) was working as a newspaper journalist when he picked up a second-hand camera. He immediately took to the medium, and joined the Farm Security Administration as a photographer in 1935. Although he left the agency after just sixteen months to help launch Life magazine, his ability to capture the essence of a scene in a single photograph shines through his work. He would continue to apply this skill as a career photojournalist, traveling extensively to capture momentous world events.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Born into poverty in Kansas, Gordon Parks (1912–2006) rose to become one of the most celebrated photographers of the twentieth century. He was inspired to teach himself photography after seeing Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographs in a magazine, and joined the FSA staff in 1941. He later worked for Life magazine and was also a successful musician and composer, the author of many books, and a director.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Ben Shahn (1898–1969) immigrated to New York from present-day Lithuania in 1906 with his family. In 1935, he began working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) after his former roommate, photographer Walker Evans, recommended him to Roy Stryker, the head of the photography section. He worked in a variety of genres and was an exponent of Social Realism, focusing on social justice and other left-wing themes in his art.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985) met Roy Stryker, the future head of the Farm Security Administration photography project, while still an undergraduate at Columbia University. He followed Stryker to Washington, DC, in 1935 to help set up the photo lab. While there, he picked up tips from the staff photographers and quickly became one himself. He spent five years with the agency and later had a long career at Look magazine.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Originally hired to the Farm Security Administration (FSA) as an assistant messenger, John Vachon (1914–1975) eventually earned a position as a staff photographer. His work for the FSA marked the beginning of a long and storied career: after serving in World War II, he worked at Standard Oil and Life magazine before joining the staff of Look magazine, where he worked for more than two decades.

Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Marion Post Wolcott (1910–1990) broke gender barriers as a newspaper photographer before joining the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in 1938. Fueled by social concerns and an artistic vision, Wolcott produced more than 9,000 photographs for the FSA while challenging prevailing attitudes about the propriety of a young woman traveling on her own. Although she worked professionally for only a few years, her photographs created a lasting record of American life on the eve of World War II.