These bleak pictures appear to show America in the grip of the 1920s Great Depression. The reality is that they were taken in the 1960s, in a lonely valley in Eastern Kentucky long forgotten by affluent America. The pictures of Appalachia were taken by photographer John Dominis, and appeared in 1964 issue of LIFE, titled ‘The Valley of Poverty’ — one of the very first substantive reports in any American publication on President Lyndon Johnson's nascent War on Poverty.
At the time, LIFE was arguably the most influential weekly magazine in the country, and without doubt the most widely read magazine anywhere to regularly publish major photo essays by the world's premier photojournalists. In that light, LIFE was in a unique position in the early days of Johnson's administration to not merely tell but to show its readers what was at stake, and what the challenges were, as the new president's "Great Society" got under way.
As LIFE put it to the magazine's readers in January 1964:
(Photos: John Dominis—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
At the time, LIFE was arguably the most influential weekly magazine in the country, and without doubt the most widely read magazine anywhere to regularly publish major photo essays by the world's premier photojournalists. In that light, LIFE was in a unique position in the early days of Johnson's administration to not merely tell but to show its readers what was at stake, and what the challenges were, as the new president's "Great Society" got under way.
As LIFE put it to the magazine's readers in January 1964:
“In a lonely valley in eastern Kentucky, in the heart of the mountainous region called Appalachia, live an impoverished people whose plight has long been ignored by affluent America. Their homes are shacks without plumbing or sanitation. Their landscape is a man-made desolation of corrugated hills and hollows laced with polluted streams. The people, themselves — often disease-ridden and unschooled — are without jobs and even without hope. Government relief and handouts of surplus food have sustained them on a bare subsistence level for so many years that idleness and relief are now their accepted way of life.”
(Photos: John Dominis—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
Very similar to Southwest Virginia where we grew up -- and still live. I guess you didn't know you were poor because everyone around you was in the same situation .
ReplyDeleteEven today ,in far southwest Virginia , some people live without windows or even floors in their homes .
Thanks for the photographs . Brings back memories --good and bad .
When ever the government starts a program that would improve the situation of poverty, the money is used inappropriatly, such as hiring a government director to oversee the distribution, which means the Director is paid a large salary, then there is a cost to set up an office, then you have secretary to the head honcho. along with other people to answer the phone, one to set up a file, electricity & phone costs, Government phones were used for years to make personal calls., I know for years my brother would call on my birthday, he was at NIH, my father was with NASA & he used their phone to make any long distance call. He also planned to use the bathroom at the shop, taking a newspaper into the bathroom with him. Basically they learned how to crap & get paid for it. So on & on it goes, but it never reaches the level of poverty for which it was meant to help. A decent running vehicle, gas money to & from the local Community College, tuition & books paid. You get a 2 yr Associates Degree, in Dental, Nursing, Mechanics, Auto Repair, Xray Tech, and the person would work & see a better world, You can become a RN in 2 years. Electricians, Plumbers, But, by the time the officed workershave driven out to the homes, taken the information, Well, the money is gone. Personally I think the Social Worker degree is the easyest to learn, & the SW is well paid to never get anything done to help anyone.This is year 2023, WHY have the Democrates from Johnson, on to Biden still not made a DENT to this area? My mother told us, if we wanted to get a government job, vote Democrate. If you want to KEEP your government job, vote Democrate.
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