A riveter working on a Vultee A-31/A-35 Vengeance dive bomber in Tennessee, February 1943. Photo by Alfred T. Palmer
America in colour is a fantastic collection of images featured on the Denver Post photo blog. The photographs, taken by photographers for the Farm Security Administration and the War Information Office, cover an important period of U.S history from 1939-43, the era when America started the transformation into the industrial super power we all know today.
Much of the photography from that period was shot in black and white. Good quality colour shots are a very rare commodity from this period, but i have to admit that the image quality of these photographs is sublime - I imagine that they were taken using Kodak's then recently developed (1935) Kodachrome film. It really is a shame that Kodak stopped making such a brilliant film with such a rich and diverse history.
The last roll of Kodachrome 64 to come off the production line was ceremoniously shot by Magnum photographer and Kodachrome shooter Steve McCurry. There can be no doubt that this superb film was a victim of the digital photography age and the general decline in sales of colour film.
This collection of images is really well worth a look, as is the Denver Post's photography blog.
4 comments:
Nice post looked a photos from America in Colour love the texture of these images a nice window into american life at that time.
I wonder if that lady is still alive and if she realises that she her important war time role was captured in that way to be talked about 65 years later
It's the quality of the colour that seems to give these images a timeless quality. It's just a shame that colour wasn't used as often (and to this high standard of quality) during the war years.
As for the lady, well I would estimate that she is in her 30's (?) when the photo was taken, so she could be around still, aged in her late 90's. It certainly is a great shot of her doing her bit to win the war. :o)
A photo of contrast ... success!
Post a Comment