Margaret Bourke-White. “There’s No Way Like the American Way,” Louisville, Kentucky, 1937
Photo Credit: LIFE Magazine

In the compelling 1937 photograph “There’s No Way Like the American Way,” captured by Margaret Bourke-White, a glaring societal contrast is depicted on the streets of Louisville, Kentucky. The image, which appeared in LIFE Magazine, encapsulates the racial and economic disparities of the Great Depression through a stark juxtaposition.

Above, a billboard gleams with the idealistic portrayal of a white American family, epitomizing prosperity and happiness, a dog at their feet completing the picturesque scene. Below, a queue of African-American individuals stands in line, awaiting food relief—a sobering counter-image to the advertised “American Way.”

Danie Bester incorporates this photograph in his educational sessions on Developing a Visual Vocabulary and Visual Storytelling. He showcases the photograph’s potent use of visual contrast to underline the divide between the promise of the American dream and the reality for many citizens during one of the nation’s most trying periods.

#MargaretBourkeWhite #PhotoDigest #DocumentaryPhotography #VisualStorytelling #HistoricalPhotography