The Privileged and the Penniless: Marion Post Wolcott Photographs the Great Depression

From 1938 to 1942, Marion Post Wolcott worked alongside other photographers for the Farmer Security Administration (FSA) documenting American life across America. Their works were both important historical records and aesthetic statements, which have shaped our vision of America during the Depression.

Though also members of the FSA, the women photographers have received less attention than their male colleagues. One of the most extraordinary talents amongst them is Wolcott, who photographed different levels of American society in the South. Her subject matter encompasses both prosperous northerners wintering in Florida and poor Floridians working on plantations.

Using prints on loan from Sharen Blasgen ’64 and her husband Michael Blasgen as well as photographs from the Scripps permanent collection, the exhibit will inform visitors about photography and the Depression, but most importantly, it will highlight the achievements of an important woman photographer from American history.

This exhibition will draw students and faculty from history and photography as well as other visual arts.

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