 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wheelwright Gallery No. 2 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Russell Lee Photographs |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Russell Lee was one of the great American photographers of the 1930s. He was a contemporary of Dorothea Lange, Ben Shahn, Walker Evans, and Gordon Parks, and was considered their equal. All five of these artists worked for the Farm Security Administration Office of War Information during the 1935-43 period, documenting the lives of Southern sharecroppers and migratory agricultural workers in the western states. |
|
|
|
One of the reasons why Lee's photographs are so good is that they were made with a view camera --that is, a large, box-type camera with a lens mounted on an expanding bellows. View cameras are technically superior to the hand-held 35 mm cameras that have been popular since the 1960s. The physical properties of light require that a certain minimum physical space be dedicated to the propagation of images. You can capture images inside small boxes, but to obtain images with excellent depth of field, you need a large box with a pin-hole aperture. In other words, you need a view camera. |
|
|
|
However, despite its superior technology, modern photographers prefer not to use view cameras, because they are heavy and cumbersome. Who wants to lug around a ten-pound Speed Graphic and a case full of photographic plates? So much for the modern photographer's dedication to photographic quality. |
|
|
|
Choir of Wheelwright's African Methodist Church. Reverend Jackson is at extreme right. Click here. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Harry Fain, coal loader, checks out in the afternoon after cleaning up after work. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Changing shifts at the Inland Steel mine portal in the afternoon. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At right, miners repair a Joy-Loader. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Groups of miners waiting for the Mantrip, the vehicle that carried them into the mine. Click here. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Here we see Harry Fain talking to his section foreman following the morning shift. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Breakman and motorman, operators of the Mantrip, at the mine portal. Click here. |
|
|
|
Left, miners changing shifts at the Inland Steel mine portal in the afternoon. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Right, Harry Ray Fain, son of Harry Fain, in one of his classes at Wheelwright High School. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
|
Left, Harry Fain, coal loader, Inland Steel Coal Company. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Left, member of mine rescue team adjusts oxygen-breathing equipment for use in gaseous mine explosion conditions. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Above, coal miners relax in booth at the soda fountain. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
Left, Wheelwright High School Class attended by George Fain, son of Harry Fain. He was a World War II veteran who was finishing his senior year of high school. He hoped to go on to the University of Kentucky. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Below, family of Harry Benner, coal miner, in their living room in company housing project. Click here. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At right, a group of miners wait to go underground for their morning shift. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Left, Harry Fain assembling the auger which he used when drilling holes for explosives into the coal face. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Mrs. C. Elkins, wife of coal miner, surrounded by some of her crocheted work, for which she had won many awards. Click here. |
|
Lunch room in Wheelwright's Community Center. Click here. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
X-Ray Machine in company-owned hospital was operated by laboratory technician. Click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
Ward in company-owned hospital. For a larger image, click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to view next group of Wheelwright photographs. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Go to Archive Main Page |
|
|
|
Go to Jack May's War |
|
|
|
|
|
Go to Wheelwright Table of Contents |
|
|
|
Go to Battle of Middle Creek |
|
|
|
|
|
Go to Wheelwright Gallery No. 3 |
|
|
Go to Oldest House in the Valley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Friends of the Samuel May House are in the process of creating a Floyd County Historic Photo Archive. If you have some historic photos that you would like to include in our collection, contact Robert Perry, Chairman, May House Photo Archive Committee, at 606-886-3863, Extension 290. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
This page hosted by |
|
|
|
|
|
Get your own Free Home Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
