It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words; and indeed, there’s something so captivating and powerful about photography. It commemorates a moment in time, or history, in a way no other medium can. Take the photography of Marion Post Wolcott, for example. This incredibly talented photographer captured some of the most iconic photos of rural America — Kentucky included — during the Great Depression, with her images both heartbreaking and beautiful. She might not be as well-known as some of her contemporaries, but her story is fascinating, and her legacy is truly inspiring.
Like the rest of the country, Kentucky was hit hard by the Great Depression, with the state’s poverty levels spiking in the midst of this massive sea of change.
Library of Congress
The Bluegrass was hit harder than most states. With the coal mines closed, hard-working families were left to fend for themselves; hungry and cut-off from the wider world.
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The upheaval of this moment in history continued to make waves long after the Depression “ended,” with rural families feeling the adverse effects most of all.
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The teachers who taught in Kentucky’s one-room schoolhouses (and makeshift schools) became a lifeline to the rest of the world, with their work more important than ever.
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And Marion Post Wolcott was there to document it all, capturing the daily trials and tribulations of rural America on film.
Arthur Rothstein/Wikipedia
Born in 1910 in New Jersey, Post is the artist behind the lens of some of the most iconic photographs from the Great Depression in rural Kentucky.
United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs/Wikipedia
She worked for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, documenting poverty and deprivation amongst those affected most of all.
Marie Turner/Wikipedia
Post put real people and faces to the struggles of this devastating time. She had an eye for photography that’s truly unmatched. Her photos often explore the political aspects of poverty and deprivation, and definitely make you stop and confront these difficult subjects head on.
Library of Congress
Interestingly enough, she originally trained as a teacher, snapping photographs on the side as the Depression swept across the country. She later studied with Trude Fleischmann, a Viennese photographer who encouraged the talented teacher to pursue photography full time.
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We are very lucky she did, as these photos stand testimony to one of the most trying times in Kentucky history.
Library of Congress They show the hardworking perseverance of the great people of the Bluegrass State – and that’s a very beautiful thing.
For more photos from this historic moment in Kentucky history — including work from Marion Post Wolcott — check out these images from the 1940s.
Library of Congress
Arthur Rothstein/Wikipedia
United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs/Wikipedia
Marie Turner/Wikipedia
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They show the hardworking perseverance of the great people of the Bluegrass State – and that’s a very beautiful thing.
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