Haunting images of the past, glimpse of the future?
This morning I visited one of my favorite people, Pam over at her blog Pamibe and she had a post called America Before Pearl Harbor that caught my attention. In the post, she linked to a photo essay of America During the Great Depression by Johnny Gunn.
The whole essay was mesmerizing me. I love looking at images from the past. I’m not sure if I am a history buff necessarily, but I am one of those nostalgic types who gets lost in things vintage and romantic in a historical sense.
One particular image, it happened to be the first one, struck me to the point that I had to go back to it and look at it again. It is part of a series by Dorothea Lange titled “Migrant Mother.” This photo of a mother, obviously poor, who moves with her children, and likely her husband from place to place to find work in order to buy food really puts things in perspective.
As I sit here in my 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with 2 cars in the driveway, TV, computer, dishwasher, and all kinds of other “stuff” facing fears of the impending election and it’s further effect on our already weakened economy, this image hits home.
How many modern day images are we going to find just like this one?
Will there be photos like this that are taken tomorrow, which 40 or 50 years from now will haunt people like this one has moved me today?
Tags: Depression, Dorothea Lange, Johnny Gunn, photo essay
October 13th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Kim, i am very compassionate, even though I am a hard ass. And things like this affect me greatly. I never lose sight of what I have over what I want, and spend every day mentally reminding myself of the blessings I have, regardless of current situations I have in my life.
I would say that, although this women looks dirty and tired, she is doing what is best for her kids, she is trying to continue on and while its not ideal in the slightest, her blessings may be that she has a husband that provides, that works, that continues on, that she doesnt live in a country where diseases run rampid, and you are beaten for voicing an opinion.
We all have to put things into perspective every day.
trisha
October 13th, 2008 at 10:19 am
We struggle with that at home a bit. My daughter has never experienced poverty and I hope she never will so it’s sometimes very difficult to teach her to appreciate what she has.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:17 am
My mom grew up like this, moving from place to place, trying to find a scrap of food. Her mother died young and once it was her, her two brothers and her father living in a tiny fruit stand by the side of the road.
Even the poorest among us have things so much better… or the capacity for better, as there is always shelter to sleep in and food to eat. These people had no government funded shelters and had to rely on local do-gooders from the churches.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I think about this all the time. I wonder and worry about what’s ahead for my daughter. My dad warned me this was coming quite some time ago. Having lived through WWII, he’s seen so much.
I just have to believe, have hope and continue to pray.
I’ve given you an award!! You can pick it up at my blog.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
That photo is very moving. It’s scary to think that kind of thing could happen to us now. Thank you for sharing this.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Kim, you seem to be a very compassionate person. You are also very generous, with your blog, your giveaways, and with your everyday life stories that you share with your readers. Thanks for sharing these articles. I found them very touching.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Maggie, I really appreciate the feedback and the compliments! Thank you.