Farm Security Administration
The Farm Security
Administration was a government program that was given the task to fight
problems associated with agricultural life. The FSA began in the 1920s during
the great depression. One of the major causes of the great depression were dust
bowls. Over production of farmed goods left the land depleted of nutrients
needed to grow fresh croups and without the root system of plants to hold down
the soil dust storms became common throughout the Midwest.
Roy Stryker was an
economist that was hired to lead the photographic documentation section of the
FSA. In order to accomplish his task, he brought together photographers like
Walker Evans, Gordon Parks and Dorothea Lange. Roy Stryker would take extremely
influential photographs so much so they would later be classified as propaganda
Some people believe these photos were taken as
part of Roosevelt’s plan to show the need and positive effects of The New Deal.
The New Deal is what Roosevelt’s called his relief effort programs he set in
place with congress. After the new deal was enacted in order to give the effect
that it was working, the photographers of the FSA were told to only take photos
that showed abundance. Some photos namely the ones with the bleached bull skull
was reported as being falsified causing people who objected the New Deal in
turn make political cartoons of the FSA randomly plopping the skull down and
taking photos across America. I do believe this collection of photos is
propaganda and is far from photojournalism. These photos show me noting about
the time frame other than there was a political struggle. Although these photos
do not show anything they certainly imply life was hard for farmers back then.
Another famous
photo is the Migrant Mother taken by Dorthea Lange. This photo became the most
recognized from the collection. It shows a mother children clinging to her for
comfort while she looks off into the distance with a look that implies the
complete absences of hope. It is a striking piece and show the struggle of the
time on its own. But because the photos in the collection had to meet the
criteria of a political agenda. How common this desperation was is now in
question.
I feel like the
FSA did their job. It may have been propaganda to get the masses on the side of
Roosevelt but because I believe in The New Deal. There is always going to be
propaganda, it’s a tool like anything else. So in that respect I do think the
FSA did this nation a necessary service.
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