1940: Photos of a sweaty square dance in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl

 By   on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Square dance

Letting loose in the Dust Bowl, amidst hard times.

Alex Q. Arbuckle

1940

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In the midst of the Great Depression, the United States government created the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to address the poverty of rural farmers, migrants and sharecroppers.The FSA hired Roy Stryker to send out a small group of photographers to document the way of life in the Dust Bowl, a region located in the central plains and prairies of the country. These photographers, including Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, created an iconic record of the poverty and struggle of the time. They also captured moments of joy and community. Here, Russell Lee photographs a square dance in a tarpaper shack in McIntosh County, Oklahoma.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!