Boer met twee koeien die een kar trekken 1887 - 1907

This photograph of a farmer with two cows pulling a cart, made by D.F. Fairchild, is a product of its time, raising questions about labor, technology, and social status. Looking closely, one notices the emphasis on the farmer’s connection with his animals and the rudimentary technology he employs. This resonates with late 19th-century sentiments as rapid industrialization caused social dislocation and economic disparity, so this photograph romanticizes the virtues of rural life. The Boer farmer becomes a symbol of the values of hard work, independence, and harmony with nature that were seen to be eroding. But this image can also be read as an implicit commentary on social structures. The farmer’s dependence on animal labor speaks to the economic limitations of the time, while also reflecting the complexities of class and social mobility. To fully understand this photograph, one needs to know about the social, economic, and political conditions in which it was made. Census records, agricultural reports, and sociological studies can help us understand the changing dynamics of rural life in America at this time.