Documentary Archives - Dispatch Press Images Blog

Posts from the ‘Documentary’ category

PILGRIM PSYCHIATRIC CENTER

My oldest son is a resident in a group home here on Long Island. Our family, including my son, have covered all the bases over many decades from various group homes run by different agencies, to out of state residences, to numerous psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, hospitalizations and medications. There is no magic pill. One of the most difficult days of my life was when we left my son in an out of state residential setting for individuals with his diagnosis and drove away while watching him in the rear view mirror. He was just a teenager at the time, and spent three years in that setting. He has a dual diagnosis and as such falls between the cracks, neither wholly an MR patient nor an MH patient, and so he is aware of his condition. It is a constant battle to lessen his anxieties, but we cannot give up. This brings us to a decision that many parents have trouble accepting.

EARLY VOTING – 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

A motivated electorate to be sure. First time for early voting in New York. I arrived at the polling place at 8:45 A. M., and I was finished at 12:15 P. M. Not bad considering that I estimated about 700 people in line ahead of me when I arrived. Poll opened at 10:00 A. M. Part of the delay was due to the fact that voters had to register on one of only two computers before receiving a ballot. When I left there must have been 3000 people on the line. As the polls close at 3 P. M. many of these people will not get to vote today. Early voting runs all week.

Newspaper may be reporting on the Battle of Chateau-Thierry (July 1918). Note how the poodle is shedding. Date is approximate; true date unknown.

FOR THOSE THEY LEFT BEHIND

War! It’s always the same. Men go off to fight and their women stay home and worry and weep. We present “War Extra!!“; U.S. c.1918. Research indicates that the newspaper is reporting on the Battle of Chateau-Thierry in July 1918. Note the shedding of the poodle. This classic image has perfect natural lighting.

A VERY SPECIAL LADY

This photo would be typical of those taken from the Farm Security Administration’s collection in the Library of Congress in our opinion. But it does not come from their collection. She belongs to DPI. Moreover, I would argue that this style is similar to that of Russell Lee, one of the great FSA photographers from the 1930s. For us to add this image to our collection was a no-brainer.

“Amish Woman With A Washtub“; Pennsylvania (May 15, 1937).

THE MANHATTANITE

In the midst of the Great Depression this woman prizes her two dogs. She seems economically untouched by the despair in the land. I think that many of us have seen some people take better care of their pets than their children. Lucky dogs!

THE YASHICA DENTAL-EYE – 35mm CAMERA

In a little used far corner of my home I spied a black, hard camera case. I remembered that it had some photo equipment in it, but I could not recall exactly what it was. From the accumulation of dust on the case I estimated that it had laid untouched for 10 to 15 years. What i found when I opened it was a gem! A gem!

OUT OF FOCUS? NO PROBLEM.

Photojournalism is not pretty. We have discussed this issue several times in the past. The significance of an image is what counts, not the technical aspects of its reproduction. A fine example of this is Robert Capa’s “Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death” a/k/a “Falling Soldier” (Cerro Muriano, Spain Sept. 5, 1936) during the Spanish Civil War. Capa received the Pulitzer Prize for his efforts.

So our young woman leaning on a fence is likewise out of focus. Its meaning is subjective although we do not expect it to win a Pulitizer Prize. “A Windy Day on the Farm“; U. S. c.1915.

THE COTTON FIELDS

The latest addition to our “Cotton” collection is “Young Woman in the Cotton Fields“; Alabama c.1924. Our collection includes many images of plantation cotton production in the cotton fields. Although some of these images may be disturbing to some viewers they remain an important part of American history.

JOHN DEERE IN THE CORNFIELD

We are constantly searching for images of farmers at work. “John Deere in the Cornfield“; U. S. c.1950 is simply the latest addition to our collection and worthy of special recognition in our opinion. If you close your eyes you can almost see the green and yellow John Deere colors on the tractor and equipment. Almost.

WE ARE THE LOBSTERS

Don’t get me wrong I love to eat lobster. But in looking at these lobsters in this tank the other day I began to think that maybe, just maybe we are not at the top of the food chain as we have come to believe. Like the lobster in the tank we are all just waiting our turn with nowhere to run. Maybe it’s viruses like COVID19 that are the top of the food chain. After all was it not the bacteria that destroyed the invaders in H. G. Well’s War of the Worlds?