bound for glory

Most of us are familiar with the archive of photographs done by the WPA during the Great Depression. It is a magnificent collection of work done during a very dark time in our country’s history. Many of the works are photographic icons. Stark black and white images, they are still a part of our visual literature. Powerful, powerful stuff. So much so that many of us who were born after the depression grew up convinced that times were so tough in those days that even color didn’t exist. The world went on in black and white.

That’s not true of course, and a few years ago an exhibit was organized, and a book published of color work done by the WPA photographers. Bound for Glory it was called, and it’s a fascinating look at those troubled times. One thing that struck me about these photographs was that as hard as times were during the depression, life went on and the world did indeed exist in color. As hard as those days were, color adds a sense of normalcy to the scenes. Things just don’t look as grim as the black and white photos make them look.

I don’t know. To me the black and white photos have more emotional impact, but the color work seems more positive and optimistic and may be a more realistic look at life in the US during the Great Depression. Take a look and see what you think.

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