Smithsonian American Art Museum
Untitled. Alabama. 1936. Walker Evans. 8a44485., from the portfolio Ground
Bill McDowell, born Albany, NY 1956 · printed 2025
In the 1930s, the federal government established agencies like the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to combat the devastation of the Great Depression. Photographers working for the FSA documented farmers' struggles and the agency's relief efforts. If a photograph did not meet the agency's needs, staff voided the negative with a hole punch-producing what became known as "killed negatives."
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