Life in the United States in the late 1930s and early 1940s was vastly different than the life we live today. People everywhere were dealing with the aftermath of the Depression and with all the changes The New Deal was bringing to the country. This also was a time where the African American people were still facing the same racism that they had been facing since slavery, and they decided to revolt. This was the time when notable people started pushing more and more for civil rights.Taking this information into consideration, it sheds some new meaning on the photo I’ve selected. There are four African American individuals in the photograph. The two children are at the front of the photo and both of them have a very serious look to their face. There are two women in the background, who could be the mothers. You can’t really see the expression on the faces of the background women, but you can assume it is along the same lines as the childrens’ based on what the African Americans were going through at the time the photograph was taken.
The coloration in this photo takes a whole new meaning when you take the history of the photograph into consideration. There are not many hues in this photo. The main hues are green and brown, and then there is random light blue, yellow, purple and white as well. The greens and browns tend to create a drab effect to the photo, but the random bursts of color do bring some light and almost a sense of hope to the photo. The brightness of the photo also makes more sense now that a background to the photo is known. The photo appears to be dulled and has almost an antiqued look to it. This effect makes the photograph have a more serious effect, which goes along with what was happening for most of America at the time of this photo.
There are quite a few vectors of attention in this particular photograph. The two children, the two mothers, the white building in the background, and the other building behind the two women are all things that caught my eye and raised questions. I couldn’t help but wonder why both of the children weren’t looking at the photographer as this photo was being taken. The child in yellow was looking straight at the cameraperson, while the child in blue is looking more towards the ground. Was there a reason the child in blue is looking at the ground?
Then my attention shifts towards the women in the background. You can’t see their faces, but it almost looks like they are staring in the direction of the camera. Do they approve of the photo being taken? Do they know who the photographer is? The way they are positioned and the outlines of the features of their faces makes you wonder if maybe they do not trust the photographer or don’t know the intentions of the photographer.
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