Fletcher Lake, late afternoon, Ocean Grove, as seen from Bradley Beach. Nov.22, 2017. Paul Goldfinger ©. Click to enlarge.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: “My Oklahoma Home.” From We Shall Overcome—the Seeger Sessions
“My Oklahoma home it blown away
Well it looked so green and fair
When I built my shanty there
Now my Oklahoma home is blown away.”
During the 1930’s and ’40’s, the FSA (Farm Security Administration) sent a team of photographers to the “dustbowl’ of Oklahoma, Carolinas, Kentucky and elsewhere to document the poverty and deprivation of that place at that time.
Marion Post Alcott was the first woman to be hired for that high powered team of skilled artists and photojournalists. During 1938-1942 she produced 9,000 images for the FSA.
This album of Pete Seeger’s music was recorded by Bruce at his Colt’s Neck farm in 2007, and it is the only album, so far, that he has done not containing his music. The album was a huge hit worldwide and it was beautifully done, with musicians skilled in that music genre. Bruce fit right in.
Another FSA photographer was Dorothea Lange. Here is a Blogfinger link to our piece about her:
–Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net