WP 1: Rough Draft 1

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's.  World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing.  The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops  over seas.  This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing is size and diversity daily.  The farming industry was also on the rise as farmers had to provide food for more people.  Namely those who were working in the factories and could not grow food for themselves in the urban setting.  This being the case, the national income of farmers more than doubled from 1940 to 1943.  The country was self sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind.  The people of America were optimistic again and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.  

This photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information.  The photographs that he took while employed there were to document farm life in the New England area of the United States.  The Farm Securities Administration was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need.  Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to suburbs of the large cities where factories were and helped them get a job.  The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting the farms that were now beginning to flourish again.  Photographers had been shooting pictures of farms from the creation of the Farm Securities Administration in 1935.  The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people that the country was on the right track again.  This would have calmed those who felt that the country was in trouble and created a feeling of happiness.  Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, enforces that idea peace and happiness were on the horizon for the people of the United States.  This is shown through elements such as vectors of attention, framing, and coloration.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture.  The first thing that the viewers eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo.  They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo.  The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo.  The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky.  As the viewer fallows the tree lines and hills, eventually they are led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains.  The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo.  The vectors of attention take the viewer in a counter-clockwise circular path through the photo as the road brings the eye back to the old structures.  

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner.  The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo.  However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something.  This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region.  This beauty appeals to pathos to create that feeling of happiness or peace.  The amount of landscape and sky in the photograph create a depth as well.  The eye is seeing much more than if the buildings were centered.  However, through the buildings, the viewer is reminded that this is a farm and is serving a purpose for the country.  


The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create that pathos.  All of the hues in the photo are very natural and earthy tones.  The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky.  The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon.  The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there.  While these hues are all natural, they create a contrast that evokes more emotions.  The saturated blue sky in the top right hand corner of the photo helps the white clouds stand out more in the photo.                  

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of peace and happiness for the American people through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation.  The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country.  Urban factories and the rural farms were giving people much needed jobs and boosted the economy of the United States right out of the Great Depression.  

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.