Mydans Collection

CINCINNATI: HOUSES, 1935. A row of low-income houses with outhouses facing railroad tracks, Cincinnati, Ohio. Photograph by Carl Mydans in December 1935

POVERTY: CHILDREN, 1935. Two impovished children in the slum section of Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Photograph by Carl Mydans, November 1935

SHARECROPPER, 1936. Lewis Hunter and his family outside their home at Ladys Island, Beaufort, South Carolina. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

OUTDOOR TOILET, 1935. A typical outhouse in the slum district of Washington, D. C
OUTDOOR TOILET, 1935. A typical outhouse in the slum district of Washington, D.C. Photograph by Carl Mydans, September 1935

MIGRANT FAMILY, 1936. An impovished mother with two of her children at a migrant worker camp on U.S. 70 in Tennessee, near the Tennessee River. Photograph by Carl Mydans, March 1936

POVERTY: LEAN-TO, 1936. A twelve-year old girl cooking for her family in a lean-to kitchen. Photograph by Carl Mydans, March 1936

FOOD TESTING, 1935. A blind meat taste test in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1935

TENNESSEE: ROADS, 1936. Road building near Memphis, Tennessee. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

MISSOURI: FARM, 1936. A farmer from Missouri with a hog he bought with a loan from the Farm Security Administration. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

PIG, 1935. A pig on a farm in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1935

GRAIN ELEVATOR, 1936. A grain elevator near Gibson City, Illinois. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

NEW JERSEY: TRAIN STATION. A train station in Radburn, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1935

ARKANSAS: FARMER, 1936. A farmer standing in opening of storm cellar which is used to store food in Batesville, Arkansas. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

WASHINGTON D. C. : FLOOD. A flooded backyard in a black household in Washington, D
WASHINGTON D.C.: FLOOD. A flooded backyard in a black household in Washington, D.C. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1935

KENTUCKY: FLOOD, 1936. Louisville, Kentucky, during the flood of the Ohio River. Photograph by Carl Mydans, March 1936

ROAD CONSTRUCTION. 1936. A tool made by a worker to remove soil from the roots of trees in clearing the lake sites for road construction at the Berwyn project, Maryland

TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPHER, 1936. A tintype photographer at a fair in Morrisville, Vermont. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

POVERTY: CHILDREN, 1935. Children in their backyard in the slum district of Washington, D.C. Photograph by Carl Mydans, September 1935

POVERTY: CHILDREN, 1935. Children playing in their backyard in the slum district of Washington, D.C. Photograph by Carl Mydans, November 1935

FACTORY PARKING LOT, 1936. Employee parking lot at the Calco Chemical Company near Bound Brook, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

Schoolboys reading books in an outdoor classroom for migrant children at Skyline Farms, near Scottsboro, Alabama
ALABAMA: SCHOOL, 1936. Schoolboys reading books in an outdoor classroom for migrant children at Skyline Farms, near Scottsboro, Alabama. Photograph by Carl Mydans, June 1936

POVERTY: CHILD, 1936. Impovished girl of a family living on The Natchez Trace Project, a Public Works Program which enabled families to move to better farms with the help of the Resettlement

POVERTY: FAMILY, 1936. One-room wooden shelter for a family of eleven, built over a chassis of an abandoned Ford truck in an open field along U.S. Route 70 between Camden and Bruceton, Tennessee

POVERTY: CHILDREN, 1936. Twelve-year-old girl of a family of eleven living in a one-room shelter, built over the chassis of an abandoned Ford truck in an open field along U.S

POVERTY: TEENAGER, 1936. Seventeen-year-old boy of a family of eleven living in a one-room shelter, built over the chassis of an abandoned Ford truck in an open field along U.S

VERMONT: FARMHOUSE, 1936. Old abandoned farmhouse near Newport, Vermont. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1936

VERMONT: CAMP, 1936. A farmers family camping at a state fair in Morrisville, Vermont. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1936

HOMESTEAD KITCHEN, 1936. Homesteader washing dishes in the kitchen of her new home, Hightstown, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1936

MANVILLE IRON WORKS, 1936. View of the Manville Iron Works and railroad, Manville, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

GEORGIA: TOBACCO, 1936. A young migrant worker guides a horse pulling a large crate of tobacco to a nearby market, near Stockton, Georgia. Photograph by Carl Mydans, June 1936

TRAILER CAMP, 1936. Two boys using a water pump in an trailer camp, Dennis Port, Massachusetts. Photograph by Carl Mydans, September 1936

TRAILER CAMP, 1936. Furniture supply store in a trailer camp at Dennis Port, Massachusetts. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1936

ALABAMA: CLASSROOM, 1936. Rural classroom for migrant children at Skyline Farms, near Scottsboro, Alabama. Photograph by Carl Mydans, June 1936

MISSOURI: FARMERS, 1936. Four farmers sitting on a grate in front of a grocery store in Prairie City, Missouri. Photograph by Carl Mydans, March 1936

MIGRANT FAMILY, 1936. A resettlement official investigating an impovished family of nine living in a trailer at a migrant worker camp on U.S. 70 in Tennessee, near the Tennessee River

LOG STRIPPERS, 1936. Two carpenters stripping logs for shelters at Wilson Cedar Forest, near Lebanon, Tennessee. Photograph by Carl Mydans, March 1936

OHIO: ALLEYWAY, 1935. A deserted alleyway on Van Horn Street, Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio. Photograph by Carl Mydans, December 1935

NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1936. View of the Amoskeag mills and remains of the bridge in Manchester, New Hampshire that was washed away when the Merrimack River flooded. Photograph by Carl Mydans, September 1936

LOAFERs WALL, 1936. A group of men sitting on the loafers wall in front of the town couthouse in Batesville, Arkansas. Photograph by Carl Mydans in June 1936

MARYLAND: ROW HOUSES. A panoramic view of a proposal for row houses, a part of the Greenbelt project. Drawing photographed by Carl Mydans, c1936

CARL MYDANS (1907-2004). American photographer with the Farm Security Administration. Standing next to a Treasury Department truck in Washington, D.C. c1935

Civilian Conservation Corps men at work at Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1935
NEW DEAL: C.C.C. 1935. Civilian Conservation Corps men at work at Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1935

MILWAUKEE SLUM, 1936. Dilapidated homes in the slum section of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photograph by Carl Mydans, April 1936

MARYLAND: WORKER, 1936. Worker using a trowel to level a cement floor, Greenbelt, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1936

POTATO LABORATORY, 1935. Interior of a potato laboratory, Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, August 1935

MARYLAND: CARPENTER, 1935. Carpenter working for the Berwyn Project, Berwyn, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, November 1935

TOOL GRINDER, 1936. Tool worker grinding an axe for the Berwyn project, Berwyn, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

MARYLAND: WORKERS, 1936. A time checker recording workers hours, Berwyn, Maryland. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

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"Capturing the Struggles of America: Carl Mydans' Glimpse into Poverty and Resilience" Step back in time to the year 1935, where Cincinnati's low-income houses stood tall, facing the relentless railroad tracks. Through his lens, photographer Carl Mydans immortalized this scene, shedding light on a community battling poverty. Georgetown, Washington D. C. , was not immune to destitution either. In this slum section, two impoverished children became symbols of resilience amidst adversity. Mydans' photograph captured their innocence and determination to rise above their circumstances. Lewis Hunter and his family found themselves as sharecroppers on Ladys Island. Their humble abode served as a backdrop for Mydans' poignant image that showcased both struggle and hope. The slum district of Washington D. C. Revealed yet another facet of poverty - outdoor toilets. In September 1935, Mydans documented these typical outhouses that were an unfortunate reality for many families living in dire conditions. Migrant workers faced their own set of challenges during those times. A mother with her two children at a migrant worker camp became subjects through which Mydans highlighted the hardships endured by these marginalized communities. In one snapshot from 1936, a twelve-year-old girl took on the responsibility of cooking for her family in a lean-to kitchen—a testament to strength beyond her years amidst poverty's grip. Not all struggles centered around housing or food; even meat underwent scrutiny during those difficult times. Prince Georges County witnessed blind taste tests as part of food testing efforts—an attempt to ensure quality despite economic constraints. Road building near Memphis brought forth images depicting progress amid hardship—Mydans captured laborers working tirelessly towards better infrastructure while grappling with personal difficulties behind closed doors. Missouri farmer proudly posed next to his hog—the result of securing a loan—a symbolization of perseverance against financial odds within rural communities striving to make ends meet.