Iowa Farm Security Administration Photo Exhibit

The Farm Security Administration (FSA) Photo Exhibit was created by Phil Hopper, Department of Communication & Media. The Exhibit was displayed on the main floor of Rod Library at the University of Northern Iowa in 2019 (xxx until August 31). An article about the display is available through the Northern Iowan.

The images in this collection were all made in Iowa from the mid 1930s until the mid 1940s. They were taken by photographers working for the Depression era Farm Security Administration (FSA). The FSA is famous for its small but highly influential photography program that portrayed the challenges of rural poverty. The photographs in the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Photograph Collection form an extensive pictorial record of American life between 1935 and 1944. In total, the black-and-white portion of the collection consists of about 175,000 negatives.

Most of the photographs displayed here where collected by Interactive Digital Studies students from the UNI Department of Communication Studies. They were printed with the assistance of the Department of Art and the display was made possible by Rod Library staff. Special thanks to Gail Bunz and Julie Ann Beddow. For more information about this display contact Philip Hopper at philip.hopper@uni.edu.

Related collections by Philip Hopper located in UNI ScholarWorks:

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01 Young Girl Sitting on a Porch [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a barefoot young girl wearing a dress sitting in a chair on a porch.
02. Man Sitting on a Bench Outside a Store [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man wearing suspenders and a wide brimmed hat with arms crossed sitting on a bench in front of a building.
03. African-American Working in a Meat Packing Company [photograph]

1945

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a standing African American man working equipment in a meat packing plant.
04. African-American Machinist [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a standing African American man wearing a hat holding tools in a gloved hand.
05. Spectators with Cars Watching a Race at the Iowa State Fair [photography]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a group of people standing in front of a fence looking at a racecourse. A number of cars are parked behind the group of people.
06. Group of People Inside a Hog Barn at the Iowa State Fair [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a group of people standing inside a barn. Several flags are hanging from barn ceiling.
07. Group of Sectators Sitting Inside a Building at the Iowa State Fair

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a group of people sitting on a row of benches inside a building. There are several large speakers on a pole above the group of people.
08. Group of Men Inside a Building at the Iowa State Fair [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a group of standing men inside a building. The nearest man is wearing a brimmed hat and is holding a piece of paper in one hand.
09. Man Making an Announcement & a Man Leading a Horse [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man at a microphone and nearby man wearing a hat who is leading a horse.
10. Group of Men at a Hog Event at the Iowa State Fair [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a large group of men inside a barn. Two fenced in hogs are located in the foreground.
11. A Woman with a Cow [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a standing woman wearing a dress and holding a roped cow with horns.
12. Man Holding an Ear of Corn [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man with a wide brimmed hat standing in a corn field. The man is wearing gloves and is holding an ear of corn.
13. A Priest Standing in a Doorway [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of robed priest standing in an open doorway.
14. A Man at an Open Gate with a Church in the Background [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man wearing suit next to an open gate on a pathway leading to a white church.
15. Man in Overhalls Sitting in a Chair [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a seated man wearing a boots, suspenders, and a cap. The man is sitting on a chair outside a building.
16 - Man in a Store Reaching for a Bucket Hanging from the Ceiling [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man holding a pole inside a store where there are a number of buckets hanging from the ceiling.
17. Young Child Holding an Ear of Corn [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a young child wearing boots, coat, gloves and hat who is holding an ear of corn and sitting next to a corn crib.
18. Man Smoking a Pipe Standing In Front of a Building [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man wearing suspenders and a cap standing in front of a building. The man is smoking a pipe.
19. Several Men Standing In Front of Train [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a several men standing in front of a train.
20. Man Standing at the Back of a Train [photograph]

1935

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man standing at the back of a train with an upraised arm.