Theodor Jung. Eighty-three-year-old settler to be resettled, near Chillicothe, Ohio, 1936 (Nitrate Negative)
Photo Credit: Library of Congress, The Crowley Company

I downloaded this remarkable portrait from the Library of Congress, along with other striking images. This one stood out immediately for its vivid portrayal of humanity. The elderly farmer, framed within a doorway, has a compelling expression, with one hand partially covering his face. The image conveys a profound, yet subtle narrative, echoing the emotional resonance of Dorothea Lange’s ‘Migrant Mother’, which we shared in September 2023. While it may not express the same depth of despair, it evokes a strong emotional response, leaving the interpretation to the viewer.

Theodor Jung, an FSA photographer, may be less famous than Lange or Walker Evans, but his work poignantly captures the impact of the Great Depression, focusing on individuals like this settler. The ‘resettlement’ in the title points to the FSA’s initiative to help impoverished families by relocating them to federally planned communities.

Regarding the photograph’s medium, it is likely black and white, as colour photography was not prevalent in FSA documentation at the time. Should there be any colour in this nitrate negative, it would have been applied through later colourization.

What is Colourization?
Colorization is the process of adding colour to black and white photographs or films. In photography, this is often done digitally, with software used to apply colour to monochrome images based on an artist’s interpretation or historical references. This technique can bring a new dimension and contemporary relevance to old photographs.

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