Family Squatting on FSA property, Caruthersville, Missouri 1938

Editor: This is Russell Lee’s photograph, "Family Squatting on FSA property, Caruthersville, Missouri." It's a stark, black and white image, and the family's expressions are so... resigned. What social commentary do you see at play here? Curator: Lee's work during the Depression for the FSA aimed to document the plight of rural Americans, but also carried a particular narrative. Consider the power dynamics at play. Who gets to define "squatting" and what assumptions are embedded in that label? Editor: So, it's not just a neutral observation, but a framing of poverty? Curator: Exactly. The photograph can be seen as participating in a broader political discourse about land ownership, agency, and the very definition of "family" during a time of immense economic upheaval. What stories aren't being told? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. It really changes how I see the photo. Curator: It's a reminder to question whose perspective shapes our understanding of history.