Colorized by Jordan J. Lloyd
based on an original 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee
License this Image
- Collectible giclée fine art print;
- Hand-printed in England, with individual embossing;
- Ships with a Certificate of Authenticity;
- Guaranteed archival quality for over a century;
- Each sale directly supports the artisan;
- Global shipping available;
- Listed dimensions include a white border for easy framing
ABOUT THIS IMAGE
Taken January, 1937. Marseilles, Illinois, United States
(Library of Congress)
"I cannot help but think Russell Lee either shot the Landers at an opportune moment, or simply staged the tenant farmers to resemble Grant Wood's seminal painting American Gothic, painted less than a decade earlier – though separated by half a day by car, Wood's location of the iconic couple is only a state away in Iowa. In Lee's close photograph of the Landers', husband and wife wear a contemporaneous version of farmers' clothing, evoking America's pioneering spirit, mirroring Woods' traditionally dressed father and daughter. One can almost imagine Lee with a wry smile on his face as he framed the view."
– Jordan J. Lloyd
This historical photograph has been meticulously researched and rendered into colour from a black and white original by a skilled artisan, continuing a craft tradition that has existed since photography began.
PROVENANCE
ORIGINAL CAPTION
"Mr. and Mrs. John Landers, tenant farmers, at the backdoor of their farmhouse, near Marseilles, Illinois."
ABOUT RUSSELL LEE (1903 – 1986)
Born in Illinois, United States, in 1936, Lee's original ambition lay in chemistry, obtaining a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. During his time in Pennsylvania during the 1930s, Lee began photographing the state's coalminers and their working conditions. Hired by Roy Stryker's Farm Security Administration in fall 1936, Lee hit the road for prolonged periods, travelling throughout Texas and Mexico to capture the plight of tenant farmers, migrant workers and sharecroppers afflicted by the Great Depression. Lee's distinctive photography, including an extraordinary set in color of Pie Town, New Mexico, frequently appeared in LIFE, Look and Fortune magazines. As the United States entered World War II in the early 1940s, Lee would document the internment of Japanese Americans, before joining Air Transport Command, taking aerial and ground surveillance photographs. After the war, Lee moved to Texas to continue his work and teaching until his death in 1986.ABOUT OUR PRINTS
LISTED SIZES
Our prints come in popular sizes with a white border for easy framing. Small prints will ship in a stiffened envelope rather than a postal tube.S (A4) – 21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 inches
M (A3) – 29.7 × 42 cm / 11.7 × 16.5 inches
L (A2) – 42 × 59.4 cm / 16.5 × 23.4 inches
XXL (A0) – 84.1 × 118.9 cm / 33.1 × 46.8 inches
OUR PAPER STOCK
Presented on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta; a pleasantly warm, pure cotton paper with subtle texture, providing excellent reproduction of colour and detail, deep blacks, and perfect contrasts. More information about our prints can be found here.THE SMALL PRINT
‘Made–to–Order’ colorized fine art prints, proudly produced in St. Leonards, East Sussex, England. This is a derivative work. Photographs for illustration purposes only. Please note that all giclée art prints are currently supplied unframed. More information about shipping and returns can be found here.
