Background photo, family of Negro FSA client, Caruthersville, Missouri 1938

Editor: This photograph by Russell Lee, titled "Background photo, family of Negro FSA client, Caruthersville, Missouri," is a powerful depiction of family life. What symbols do you see in this image? Curator: The sewing machine is key. It suggests resourcefulness and domestic labor, echoing resilience against economic hardship. The children's bare feet may represent their connection to the land, and vulnerability. What feelings does the porch setting evoke? Editor: A sense of community, perhaps, but also exposure. Curator: Precisely. The porch is a threshold, a space between private and public life. Lee’s photograph encapsulates both the intimacy and the precarity of this family's existence. Editor: I never considered how the setting held so much meaning. Thank you. Curator: Indeed, it is a poignant glimpse into a moment in time.