16/09/10
The shock of the old
I saw these amazing colour pictures of Depression/Second World War era America the other day – amazing, as even though they date from sixty years ago (when the above picture was taken at a square dance in Oklahoma, my late father, also from Oklahoma, would have been 16) the colour and clarity of these shots make them seen like they were taken yesterday.
Ranging from the Hopper-esque to the heartbreaking, among them was this picture of a railway yard parallel to South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Once upon a time, I worked on South Michigan (as the locals call it) only it looked like this…
…when I worked there, although this present day shot (note the murky, polluted sky) was taken a little further south. See that funny rusty red building? My old office was the building in front, before we moved to the corner of Lake and LaSalle. But that’s another story…
The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color.
The picture of modern day Chicago was taken by Nathan Alderman and used without permission. (I’m expecting him to kick my ass anyday soon).
Via @urban75