If you think archives are and old and out of date, think again. A collection owned by the American government is now available online for the public! Everyone now has the possibility to navigate on this platform from the confort of their own home, thanks to interactive tools. This program is called Photogrammar, that was developed at Yale University.
These images, that were created over a period of 10 years, allow a view of daily life in the US. Do you wish to see what a city was like in 30s? A map is at your disposal, zoom in and look. These photos are just as good as a documentary view and as an aesthetic view. If you decide for example to find out what life was like in 1938 in Charleston, move your mouse to the left. Then, select the spot on the map.
Some descriptions come with photos, which allows us to have precise information on the time period, from a historic point of view. It is also possible to do research by photographer, which is good news, especially when we know the website provides photos by Dorothea Lange, and Walker Evans.
Dorothea Lange - Latter Day Saints portrait group, 1936
Walker Evans - Bud Fields in his cotton patch, 1935