Document : The American Archive Project

The American Archive Project 

Will produce the highest quality set of prints and negatives of a number of urban and suburban American cities and areas over the next decade in an attempt to define the time period for a number of academic disciplines and compile a hard copy reproducible archive for the historical record.  

It will take a team of young professionals and mentors and utilize four hub cities across the USA to cover both the everyday work and leisure

as well as the unique

and eventful aspects

of life for people,

as well as

the nature of

Place and landscape

There is no comprehensive documentation of our time period.  The last time one was executed was in 1930s at the direction of Roy Striker under the Farm Security Administration of the federal Government.  While millions of digital photographs are being taken every day there is no known long term storage solution for them as well as they are not being taken with the intent,  skill or mind towards the goal.    A news or magazine photograph is taken with a specific use intended and generally is

a record of the  day’s event. 

Documentary photographs reveal a longer

moment and stand up to the test of time

without an extensive caption or article to

support them. At their best they are

nearer to works of art that reveal a

meaningful aspect  of the human condition

in the time period.

                                                                    The Following five pages are a sampling of prints which show the range of the types of images we will be collecting

State House ,  Boston MA

Naval Cadet at the Holocaust Memorial

Bob Whetstone - Missionary - Boston Ma

Boulevard,  Gloucester Ma

We will be seeking images that reflect  those elements  which are most  uniquely American.  We want the ability to do so

without a political or media agenda.  The FSA photographers

were generating images to sell the new deal and while a number of them transcend that goal a lot of the work leans more towards propaganda than reportage. 

A lot has  forever changed in America since the FSA work.  We live very fast paced lives with far more technology at our fingertips , and yet there are aspects which remain ageless as human experience. Those aspects are also worth documenting.