The Legacy Of Documentary Photography

In our society today, how would one define an influential collection of photos? For better or worse, the first example that comes into my mind is Kim Kardashians published book of 200 “selfies”: Selfish. In the past decade, the ability to take a photo is available to anyone who owns practically any form of technology. Computers now have webcams, phones have multiple cameras, there are small video cameras you can attach to your hat, and even pocket sized Polaroid cameras. We have the ability to capture anything, so how can a print still influence us in today’s culture? The legacy of documentary photography has been evolving for decades. In 1933, the Farm Society Administration devised a new plan to raise money for rural America: photograph the
President Roosevelt sought to increase the range of governmental activities to include industry, agriculture, housing, finance and labor. The first goal of this legislation was to employ workers who had lost their job due to the collapse of the stock market. Agencies formed by the government included the National Recovery Administration, Works Progress Administration and many others. The United States Supreme Court determined many of these legislations to be unconstitutional on the grounds that they interfere too heavily on the economic market of America. In 1935, a “Second New Deal” was constructed to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was created in order to provide support for the poverty in rural areas of America. Their goal was to improve farming techniques to prevent natural disasters such as the Dustbowl from reoccurring. The FSA was most well known for their Information Division’s documentation of rural
She is recognized most notably for her collection of images of the “migrant mother”. While she was traveling through California she found a Farmer’s camp where a mother had recently sold the tires off of her car so she could provide food for her family. Lange took many images of this family, mostly with the mother looking outwards and her two boys hiding their faces behind her. Critics of Lange often say that her female sensibility is what allows the sentiments and instincts of care to shine through. Most of her photographs were portraits, interested with internal emotion and disposition. Lange was referred to by her boss, Stryker, as “not only as a mother but as a matriarch”. In 1941 Lange received the Guggenheim fellowship award, one of the first given to a photographer, to document “the American social scene.” While most of the negatives produced from this period on have been lost, she left a legacy of documentary photography that could not be replaced. Lange’s inclination towards sentimental images coincided with the FSA’s desire to honor the impoverished and create a form of political