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Archives of American Art
Oral history interview with John Vachon
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.vachon64
- Creators:
-
Vachon, John, 1914-1975Doud, Richard KeithNew Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
- Dates:
-
1964 April 28
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
18 PagesTranscript
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
An interview of John Vachon conducted 1964 April 28, by Richard Doud, for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
Vachon speaks of how he started on the Farm Security Administration project; getting started as an FSA photographer; helping to organize the photograph file; early assignments as a photographer; the influence of Walker Evans; making decisions about the subject matter of the photographs; the growth of the FSA project; the difference between being a photographer for LOOK magazine and for the FSA; his philosophy of photography; and his most memorable experiences with the FSA. He recalls Roy Stryker.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
John Vachon (1914-1975) was a photographer from New York, N.Y. Vachon worked under Roy Stryker on the Farm Security Administration's Photography project. Also worked for LOOK magazine.
Administration
Sponsor
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Digital Content
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
More Information
General
General
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 3 min.
Keywords
Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
---|---|---|---|
Documentary photography | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Sound recordings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Interviews | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Stryker, Roy Emerson, 1893-1975 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
United States. Farm Security Administration. Historical Section | Corporate Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project | Corporate Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions