Port Jervis, New York 18 - 1990

James Welling made this gelatin silver print, titled 'Port Jervis, New York'. In this black and white image, Welling captures a seemingly unremarkable scene, logs stacked in the foreground, a train and telephone pole in the back. Yet, this everyday setting speaks volumes about the socio-economic landscape of small-town America. The composition hints at the intersection of industry, transportation, and communication. We see the raw materials, the means of moving them, and the infrastructure that connects the town to the wider world. It is a view of the ordinary, where the cultural and political meet. To fully understand a work like this, we have to consider the history of industry and labor in regions like Port Jervis. Resources in archives, libraries, and historical societies can help us to reconstruct the complex forces shaping our world.