One thing about the New Deal is that it was well documented. Some of the best photographers of the day were hired by Roy Stryker in the Farm Security Administration. Lewis Hine worked for the TVA/CCC.
Pretty much every New Deal agency sent photographers out to document both the need for their activities, and also the results. There’s some terrific photographs which don’t have the artist identified. And I do mean artist.
Back in the days of the New Deal, there was a lot of emphasis on work. On labor actually. Organized labor was a force, and the powers that be were worried about insurrection from the left in the US. So it’s not surprising that work is depicted in an heroic light.
In light of the debates over what is or isn’t worthy of inclusion in the stimulus package, I thought it might be interesting to look at work in FDR’s day.
Cross posted at Daily Kos