Fort Peck Dam, Montana 1936

What are your first impressions of this photograph? The American photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White (1904 - 1971) here captures the construction of the iconic Fort Peck Dam in Montana, then the world's largest earth-filled dam. Bourke-White specialised in documentary photography. 📸 This photograph, taken in 1936, was commissioned as the first front cover of Life Magazine. It depicts the enormous flood gates of the dam, as well as the half-finished pillars which were constructed to hold up a highway. The composition of her photograph makes use of striking diagonal lines, in order to emphasise the vast scale. 🛣️ Spot the two workers at the bottom centre of the image – how tiny do they look against the monumental structure! This juxtaposition creates an impression of vulnerability. The photographer was especially interested in social class and the impact of industrial capitalism on everyday workers. The presence of the two men adds a sense of emotion to the image. Here, the artist has skilfully combined the human and the architectural. 🏗️ Bourke-White worked as a war correspondent during Word War II – in fact, she was the first female allowed to work in combat zones. What does this say about the significance of her art? 💭