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The Dust Bowl
Striking in the depths of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl blasted hopes and hard work of people in the Great Plains. For those who lived through it, the experience remains unmatched as an example of ecological calamity. Nowadays it is not easy for younger generations to comprehend what happened. But humanities resources can bridge the gap between generations and promote understanding of the pioneering will to prevail in the face of immutable laws of nature.
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Exhibit
In the 1930s, photographers working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) captured unforgettable images of human fortitude and despair in the face of calamity. Nebraska photographer Bill Ganzel set out in the late 1970s to find and re-photograph Dust Bowl survivors for a book and exhibition. This exhibit, abridged from the original by Humanities Texas and displayed in Sherman in 1999, combines the FSA photographs and Ganzel’s interviews to create an eloquent story of human fortitude.
Panel topics include:
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- Dust Storms, blasted crops, abandoned farms in the Great Plains
- Displaced men, women and children
- Heading west
- Staying put
- 4-H Clubs, WPA, and othe government programs
- Country schools
- Changes through time
Exhibit format
Convertible format exhibit is organized in 16 single-sided panels with 39 photographs and texts mounted behind Plexiglas. Each panel is 30” wide x 38” high. Panels may be hung on walls or attached to wooden poles to form four freestanding units that stand 76” high.
Shipping weight (2 wooden crates, 1 fiber case): 317 lbs.
Floor space required: 8’ x 24’
Or Wall space required: 60' (running)
Supplemental materials:
- A brochure with an illustrated essay regarding Dust Bowl experience. 50 copies free with exhibit.
- A poster, "Running from the dust storm." 5 copies free with exhibit.
Available for rental:
- VHS video
- American Images
- Photographer, Russell Lee
- Surviving the Dust Bowl
- When Nature Rules: Dust Bowl, Drought & Other Dirty Words