The Photographs of Jack Delano: The Library of Congress (Fields of Vision Book 2)

Fields of Visions are a great acquisition. I have been a follower of Jack Delano since he was a photographer in Puerto Rico who aimed at recording history in pictures rather than words. Besides photographs he was involved with cinematography as well as the plastic arts and one of the founders of a PR Education Dept. "Division de Educacion de la Comunidasd" plastic arts center. I would like to see more of Mr. Delano's work in the mainland as well as Puerto Rico.

Again, I've reviewed just about all of the FSA photographers books from the Library of Congress, they are all wonderful. Jack Delano is one of the greats from that era and this book has some of his best work ever. I only wish they would do one of these books on Walker Evans. Buy the entire series if you can.

great images

Great photography!!!!

I visited Philadelphia last summer and went to the "Free Library" where I first encountered the works of Jack Delano. I was impressed by the varied subject matter of his photographs.

Jack Delano joined the Farm Security Administration in 1940 during its middle years (1937-1942) and worked for the agency and its successor, the OWI, for three years. His biggest assignment was in Puerto Rico for four months in 1941 and 1942. The introductory essay by Esmeralda Santiago (who was born in Puerto Rico) describes Delano's time on the islands and how he fell in love with the country and the people, he took just over a thousand photos, and twelve are included in these pages. In 1945 Delano and his wife Irene returned to live on the islands and he died there in 1997.Santiago doesn't mention in her essay an assignment the he carried out in March to April 1943. Travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles on freight trains to photograph the railroad industry during wartime. (272 of these photos were published in  The Iron Horse at War: The United States Government's photodocumentary project on American railroading during the Second World War ). Also not mentioned is Delano's use of color. Kodak introduced 35mm film in 1936 though because color was not used for editorial in newspapers or magazines the FSA/OWI used the new format sparingly. The book does have eleven photos in color, including four from the railroad assignment. (Fifty-two of his color photos are in  Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43 ).Look through the fifty photos in the book and it's clear to see why Delano was considered one of the leading photographers on Roy Stryker's staff along with Evans, Lee, Rothstein, Shahn and Wolcott. Like them his photos tell a sympathetic and humane story.

Jack Delano: a humanist, pohotographer, musician, composer...and in move with Puerto Rico.Beautiful book