WP 1: Pre-Writing Assignment 3

The Catskill Mountains are located in the southeast region of New York state. This entire area was once known as America's wilderness and is famous for its natural beauty. This is apparent in any picture you see of this area, including the photo I chose, Farmland in the Catskill country, New York. While the beauty of this region of the United States is undeniable, capturing that beauty was not the primary goal of John Collier Jr., the photographer. In 1943, Collier was employed by the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information as a photographer. His primary assignments were documenting farms and land on the east coast. While this would have influenced what he photographed, Collier would have taken spectacular shots that captured the land and beauty no matter what. He was a very good documental photographer. In a previous post, I was writing under the understanding that the photo I chose was taken in 1933. However, after some investigation and research, I found that the picture was actually taken a decade later in 1943.

In 1943, America was just regaining its footing after the devastating Great Depression and World War II was well under way. Americans were starting to feel better now with the economy on the upswing. Farming would have been a great industry to be a part of in the 1940's. Farmers were making more that double what they were in the 1930's with the peak profit coming in 1944 at just over 20 billion dollars. During this time, The Farm Securities Administration was not doing too much buying of poor farms as the market was good for them. They were completing their mission of "showing Americans, American." The FSA was known for it small but influential photography department that documented farm life from 1935 to 1944.

This information did change how I viewed the photo. I know see it more as a teaching tool. The photographers of the FSA wanted to show the rest of the country what was going on in the eastern United States. They wanted to capture the beauty. The sole purpose of these photos was to inform people. Photos like this would have reinforced that feeling that everything was on the right track and America was on the rise. I still get that feeling of calm when I look at it but I now sense pride in it. This farm most likely went through tough times and could have even been bought by the FSA. However, it was now back in full force, raising livestock and crops. The Great Depression was over and America was back in the saddle.

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.