Sandy Brehl's Reviews > Picturing a Nation: The Great Depression’s Finest Photographers Introduce America to Itself

This is one of the most extraordinary books I've seen in several ways. There is enormous power in photography, but also in the concept behind this account of the visionary ways action of Depression Era Resettlement Administration (RA). The first director quickly established a Historical Section. This subset of the rescue program's efforts was intended to document (and justify) the services provided. More than that, though, the selected director Roy Stryker (a name I had never heard/read) had a primary mission: he dispatched quality photographers across this nation to capture images of America that were virtually unknown too most urban and "doing okay" Americans at the time.
The face of this country, its people and its expanse and variety, are still breathtakingly informative and heart-touching. Though some photos are, in fact, heartbreaking, their mission and results were aimed at capturing the strengths off our country, and they do just that. Their success was immeasurable.
I urge everyone to spend time with this book, dwell on the simply-labeled photo captions, and consume the limited but informative text to find yourselves more enriched about our history and our people.
If you are someone who has questioned the role/benefit of government in daily life, a close examination of the photos and the people behind them, both subjects and photographers, you may find in it a potent inspiration about our capability as a nation.