Jo Freeman Reviews Russell Lee: A Photographer’s Life and Legacy

 

 

by Jo Freeman

 

This is a handsome book.  It’s designed for aesthetic appeal, with a hundred high-quality photographs interspersed in the text, including some in color.  The price is surprisingly low for what had to be a very expensive book to produce.

 

It is also a complex book, which tells several stories. The primary narrative is a biography of a man who spent his life taking photographs in order to document America.  It’s not a full biography, as the focus is on the years of 1936-42, when Russell Lee worked for the Farm Security Administration.  His life before and after is covered only briefly.  It includes a biography of Roy Stryker, who was Lee’s boss and friend.  

 

A second theme is a history of the FSA’s Historical Section, headed by Stryker, who sent his photographers on assignments around the country.  Their initial task was to document the effects of the Depression and drought on rural American in order to justify the expenditure of federal funds to remedy problems.  As war approached, their task shifted to documenting America’s strength and prosperity in order to convince enemies that it was a formidable foe.

 

Among other things, the photographs chronicle the effects of climate change on agricultural areas, especially the Midwest Dust Bowl.  This is followed by a chapter on “The Water Problem” as the government sought to reclaim western areas with dams and canals that brought water where it could enhance crop production.  The photos and vignettes in this book give a sense of being there.