A) Social Documentary Photography as propaganda (FSA photographs)
The work of Farm Security Administration photographers is renowned due to its insightful portrayal of life during the Great Depression. However, several reasons exist to support the view that the images functioned as propaganda. Firstly, the photographs are subjective. Subjective photography is a technique where the photographers associate images with opinions and ideas and make their views known regarding the image. The photographs focus on the negative aspects of communities without addressing any positives in society at the time. Secondly, the images were not particularly observant of ethics and moral conduct. Some of the images focused more on information provision at the expense of morality. For example, the image by Jacob Riis, showing children sleeping on the street side is unethical due to the reference of the children as street Arabs.
Thirdly, the images produced by Roy Stryker were manipulative to some extent. Most depicted the poverty of the nation during the period. For instance, the image named Dens of Death shows the overcrowding and unhealthy conditions people in New York lived in, which influences audiences to relate this to the entire city. A fourth reason supporting the view that the FSA project was propaganda is that the government has significant control of the program. Government agencies played a significant part in the funding and operation of the photography program. The montage poster branded ‘Making human junk’ indicates a message by the government to the community regarding implications of child labor.
Lastly, the artistic nature of the images is in direct contrast with objective photography. The tactics of photography were oriented more towards invoking emotion as well as informing the public. The photograph of a black blizzard over Prowers Co, in Colorado is evidence of this.
B. Description of the Photo called ‘Making Human Junk’
The photo shows several indicators of propaganda. Firstly, it is illustrative of the impacts of child labor on the future American population. It depicts the consequences of continued use of children in industries where they earn little wages only to end up unhealthy, uneducated, overworked and incapable of contributing to the society in the future.
