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A great collection of '30's -'40's photos..

Dixon Cannon

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Sonoran Desert Hideaway
All in color! Quite a trip down memory lane from our 'golden era'.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/

These vivid color photos from the Great Depression and World War II capture an era generally seen only in black-and-white. Photographers working for the United States Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) created the images between 1939 and 1944.

We invite your tags and comments! Also, more identification information. (The current titles come from the agency's original documentation, which was sometimes incomplete.)

The FSA/OWI pictures depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with a focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working.

The original images are color transparencies ranging in size from 35 mm. to 4x5 inches. They complement the better-known black-and-white FSA/OWI photographs, made during the same
period.

The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division preserves
the original photographs and offers the digital copies to ensure their wide availability.

For more information about the collection and to see the approximately 171,000 black-and-white photos, visit: lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/fsacabt.html
 

Solid Citizen

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Maryland
GOOD Reference!

Thanks Dixon Cannon :eusa_clap

Library of Congress had a display exhibit
several years ago with some of these colour
photos. Always loved the colour quality in
these 30's/40's images

Solid Citizen ;)
 

Dixon Cannon

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,157
Location
Sonoran Desert Hideaway
Solid Citizen said:
Thanks Dixon Cannon :eusa_clap

Library of Congress had a display exhibit
several years ago with some of these colour
photos. Always loved the colour quality in
these 30's/40's images

Solid Citizen
;)

I agree about the color quality of those old Kodachromes. Very contrasty with deep, rich color. Most, shot on 4x5 are tack sharp with incredible detail. Amazing in itself considering that most were shot hand-held on a big Graflex with film ASA of 10. (I would suppose that some of the posed subject matter was shot with a view camera on a tripod - but certainly not point and shoot, 35mm at 1/125th @ f5.6!) Also, consider manual calculation of exposure back then! Those guys (and gals!) were REAL photo-graphers, making every decision, setting, and adjustment in their heads before releasing the shutter. I look back at some of my 35mm chromes, done on a hand-held Nikon with TTL metering - most of which are over/under exposed, with camera shake and soft focus! Thank God for digital, auto-focus and that handy 'delete' button. "A year ago I couldn't spiel fertagrafor; now I are one two!"

-dixon cannon
 

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