Farm Security Administration

Jacob Cavenee

Art 177-Photography

Professor Pease

1 March 2016

Farm Security Administration

            The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was created in 1937. The purpose of the FSA was to help rural rehabilitation, farm loans, and subsistence homestead programs (DPLA). The FSA is not considered to be a “relief agency” but a reliable network of cooperation between states and county offices (DPLA). The FSA helped distribute loans to companies who couldn’t receive them elsewhere. After the loans were distributed, farmers used this cash to buy land, equipment, livestock, or seeds (DPLA). Another great contribution to the FSA was the assistance for family care and well-being.

            One part of the FSA was the implication of photographers. Photographers were used to document rural conditions, cultures, and landscapes of different towns (DPLA). Some of the more noticeable photographers working for the FSA were; Dorthea Lange, Arthur Rothstein, Russell Lee, John Vachon, Walker Evans, and Gordon Parks (Ganzel). The FSA photographers collected more than 80,000 pictures. Roy Stryker, an economist from Columbia university, was hired as the head of “History Section” for the FSA (Ganzel). His main task was to show others what living on a farm looked like. Although Stryker was a photographer himself, he sent a big group all around the US for nine years for the pursuit of “visual encyclopedia of American life” (Ganzel). Stryker wanted to publish the photos on every outlet that he could, sharing to everyone what the New Deal was about to agriculture and the economy (Ganzel). US politics had a heavy influence on the FSA. All of the FSA’s graphic record was produced by the Roosevelt administration (Meyer). It was used as information for the public and propaganda for Roosevelt. The photographs were also used as to show off the New Deal plan that was just implemented. The photographs displayed during the FSA show the poverty and struggles that some families have gone through. The bare and desert landscape show the harsh conditions of the dust bowl and the hard working families working in the fields. 

            Dorothea Lange, considered to be the greatest documentary photographer, is best known for her photographs with the FSA (The History Place). Migrant Mother is considered to be Lange’s most recognizable photo. The story behind the photo was to show the poverty that was happening during this time. It portrays the struggles that mothers had to face with trying to give the best for their children and themselves. It is an amazing picture with a powerful message. Some of the photos taken for the FSA were tweaked and fixed to really impact the media. Arthur Rothstein was accused for moving the skull in his picture, making it false. The FSA photography is considered to be photojournalism. They were assigned to take amazing pictures of real life scenarios and then were published to the media from Stryker. The FSA photographers really helped capture troubled times for some families.

Works Citied

"America's Great Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal." Omeka RSS. DPLA, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

"Farm Security Administration." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

Ganzel, Bill. "FSA Photographers Document the Great Depression." FSA Photographers Document the Great Depression. Ganzel Group, 2003. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

Meyer, Chris. "Boston University Arts & Sciences Writing Program." Writing Program The FSA Photographs Information or Propaganda Comments. Boston University Arts & Sciences, n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

"The History Place - Dorothea Lange Photo Gallery: Migrant Farm Families." The History Place - Dorothea Lange Photo Gallery: Migrant Farm Families. The History Place, n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

 
(All photos from livinghistoryfarm.org)