Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943

[bik0]

These images, by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations. The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/?source=ARK_plog

[dhill926]

1. great photos....thanks for this......

man those were tough times.....not very many smiles for the camera......

[Warpy]

6. Not many smiles from adults due to bad teeth

Even my relatively well off family didn't have money for a dentist. Even those who had the money couldn't afford things like orthodontics.

I was aware enough as a little kid to recognize a lot of what I see in those photos. It's just such an amazing treat to see it all in color.

I could swear I visited somebody in that cruddy building in Brockton, Mass. The years did not improve it.

[tridim]

2. I've seen some of these, but not all. Thanks.

It's amazing how B&W photography is interpreted as "a different time" and color photography is interpreted as "modern". I'm certain there have been psych studies on that.

[Confusious]

16. When 99% of the photos from that period

Were black & white, and modern color photos were just coming around, it's not surprising.

[depakid]

19. Kodachrome was a remarkably stable medium

It was sad for a lot of us old school types when it finally went out of production last year.

[Confusious]

24. I always like the color in the old movies from the 50's and 60's

Color during the 70's seems to have taken a puke. Not alive or vibrant. It sort of came back in the 80's, but it's still not as good.

[Recursion]

31. Have you seen the First World War color photographs?

http://www.worldwaronecolorphotos.com/

The process they used is unknown but it's not simply painting over a black and white photo. These are amazing to me.

[qb]

3. Amazing photographs. The government hired some top notch photographers.

[hatrack]

4. Fascinating - really cool images.

Thanks!

[JohnnyLib2]

5. Wonderful photos!

I'm going to look at more at the site.

Slight quibble: I thought the years from about 1940 on, with war industry jobs, were considered post-depression?

[activa8tr]

7. A picture is worth 1000 words. And

these folks had just endured over 10 years of severe economic DEPRESSION.

Americans today are upset with 9% unemployment going on for over a year, in the meantime, the rich complain about it the most, and feel it the least.

I wonder how many Americans want to do those jobs, dress in those clothes, (men with hats, long sleeve shirts and long pants and women in the simplest of cotton dresses, headscarfs, and NO AIR CONDITIONING!!!

[Recursion]

8. Why did every time period dress so much better than we do?

Nice hats.

[L0oniX]

17. Because if you walked around with your pants half way down back then they would arrest you.

[dipsydoodle]

27. Oddly enough

I've got loads of friends who dress like that now. We're all into '40s music and dancing. There are some companies in the UK making repros of those styles for all of us. The girls copy those hairstyles too.

[JI7]

29. i love the styles from 1950s and before

[dipsydoodle]

34. Check this picture out

That's the ex-husband of one of my cousins - a rockabilly DJ here in the UK. That is a recent picture!

[JI7]

41. i was just looking at the pic before i read that it's a recent pic

where do they get the clothes from ? can you get women's clothes in that older style also ?

if you know anything about wholesalers let me know. but they have to ship or be available in the united states.

the thing about that pic is that it's not just the clothes but even the facial expressions look like what we see from the older pics.

[HughBeaumont]

32. Suits, ties and hats are massively uncomfortable, expensive and restricting?

In the hot heat, they're even worse.

[JI7]

42. yeah, but those were things around in those days also but it was worse for them

since they didn't have the things we have now to easily avoid it.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Amazing pics...truly amazing..

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Amazing photos.

[farmbo]

11. Thanks for posting...

eom

[Demoiselle]

12. THANK YOU. These are wonderful. And very moving, too.

[RetroLounge]

13. Excellent work!

I especially like Jack Delano's work...

RL

[activa8tr]

14. The ass shots were priceless!

I don't get out much, so I don't see asses like that often.

LOL

[jimshoes]

15. There is something about color photos

of that period that brings out a certain mystique of those times. I wasn't born till the early 50's but the color pics give a feeling of nearness to the era compared to black and white photos of the same period. Very cool. Thanks for posting.

[IndianaGreen]

18. K&R

They look a lot tougher than people today!

[asdjrocky]

20. Cool stuff, thanks! nt

[mikita]

21. thanks!

great photos. just great.

[L0oniX]

22. K & R

[Brooklyns_Finest]

23. Tough People

Americans back then were probably as tough as the people who live in the 3rd world today.

[proteus_lives]

25. +1

Everyone was tough pre-WWII.

[proteus_lives]

26. Wonderful.

Bookmarked.

[dipsydoodle]

28. K & R.

Excellent !

[myrna minx]

30. K&R n/t

[era veteran]

33. Fantastic Images K & R

[Lorien]

35. Dupe:

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8854542

[ceile]

36. Wow.

Beautiful....

[Sparkly]

37. Wow!!

Thanks for posting this! I could look at these for hours -- so rich in detail and the quality of the slides is so different from anything else.

Fascinating.

[distantearlywarning]

38. Very interesting.

Thanks for posting this link.

[Scurrilous]

39. Nice.

K & R :thumbsup:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

40. Awesome collection.

Sharing it with my peeps. Thanks for the post!

[HughBeaumont]

43. I remember seeing some of the New Mexico photos at the LoC when they were on display . . .

. . . truly amazing technique and changes your perspective on the past.