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Charles M. Russell Center Series on Art and Photography of the American West
Picturing Migrants: The Grapes of Wrath and New Deal Documentary Photography (Volume 18)
As time passes, personal memories of the Great Depression die with those who lived through the desperate 1930s. In the absence of firsthand knowledge, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and the photographs produced for the New Deal’s Farm Security Administration (FSA) now provide most of the images that come to mind when we think of the 1930s. That novel and those photographs, as this book shows, share a history. Fully exploring this complex connection for the first time, Picturing Migrants offers new insight into Steinbeck’s novel and the FSA’s photography—and into the circumstances that have made them enduring icons of the Depression.
Looking at the work of Dorothea Lange, Horace Bristol, Arthur Rothstein, and Russell Lee, it is easy to imagine that these images came straight out of the pages of The Grapes of Wrath . This should be no surprise, James R. Swensen tells us, because Steinbeck explicitly turned to photographs of the period to create his visceral narrative of hope and loss among Okie migrants in search of a better life in California. When the novel became an instant best seller upon its release in April 1939, some dismissed its imagery as pure fantasy. Lee knew better and traveled to Oklahoma for proof. The documentary pictures he produced are nothing short of a photographic illustration of the hard lives and desperate reality that Steinbeck so vividly portrayed. In Picturing Migrants , Swensen sets these lesser-known images alongside the more familiar work of Lange and others, giving us a clearer understanding of the FSA’s work to publicize the plight of the migrant in the wake of the novel and John Ford’s award-winning film adaptation.
A new perspective on an era whose hardships and lessons resonate to this day, Picturing Migrants lets us see as never before how a novel and a series of documentary photographs have kept the Great Depression unforgettably real for generation after generation.
Looking at the work of Dorothea Lange, Horace Bristol, Arthur Rothstein, and Russell Lee, it is easy to imagine that these images came straight out of the pages of The Grapes of Wrath . This should be no surprise, James R. Swensen tells us, because Steinbeck explicitly turned to photographs of the period to create his visceral narrative of hope and loss among Okie migrants in search of a better life in California. When the novel became an instant best seller upon its release in April 1939, some dismissed its imagery as pure fantasy. Lee knew better and traveled to Oklahoma for proof. The documentary pictures he produced are nothing short of a photographic illustration of the hard lives and desperate reality that Steinbeck so vividly portrayed. In Picturing Migrants , Swensen sets these lesser-known images alongside the more familiar work of Lange and others, giving us a clearer understanding of the FSA’s work to publicize the plight of the migrant in the wake of the novel and John Ford’s award-winning film adaptation.
A new perspective on an era whose hardships and lessons resonate to this day, Picturing Migrants lets us see as never before how a novel and a series of documentary photographs have kept the Great Depression unforgettably real for generation after generation.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 8, 2019
Amazing Photographic Documentary!
This high quality book tells the story of these iconic historical photographs by some of the best photographers of the mid 20th century, showing the real people of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and their plight for survival and struggle for dignity.
Not only are the photos enlightening, but the author also documents the stories behind the images, including both the photographers and the people photographed. This well-written and printed work illustrates real people on both sides of the camera and tells their poignant life stories with images you can study for hours.
A great addition to any library, especially if you love photography, American history, or John Steinbeck's woeful tale the Grapes of Wrath. This seems to be one of several well-researched photo chronicles of how so many historical photos became a national treasure.
This high quality book tells the story of these iconic historical photographs by some of the best photographers of the mid 20th century, showing the real people of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and their plight for survival and struggle for dignity.
Not only are the photos enlightening, but the author also documents the stories behind the images, including both the photographers and the people photographed. This well-written and printed work illustrates real people on both sides of the camera and tells their poignant life stories with images you can study for hours.
A great addition to any library, especially if you love photography, American history, or John Steinbeck's woeful tale the Grapes of Wrath. This seems to be one of several well-researched photo chronicles of how so many historical photos became a national treasure.
December 27, 2021
Pairing the moving photographs of the time of the Dust Bowl and John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath makes for interesting reading. I had no knowledge that Steinbeck worked among the migrants in order to understand their situation and to write the best book he could. Many of the photographs were familiar to me but they never lose their impact.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews