federal photography project · field office e · southern region

bandersnatch

1935 —

the office is open.

now printing · collection 001 · editions of 24

lot no. 001, the scripture tee — the question from ezekiel 37:3 screen printed over a dead tree

lot 001 · the scripture tee · $40

lot no. 006, the cardinal tee — the estate's bird drawn proud on a bare branch

lot 006 · the cardinal · $40

lot no. 008, the river hymn tee — shall we gather at the river, printed over a winding river

lot 008 · the river hymn · $40

notice · posted at the county courthouse

in the year nineteen hundred and thirty-five the government sent photographers into the counties, that the hard times might be set down in a record. in the year nineteen hundred and forty-three the offices were dissolved. this one was not.

for ninety years the field office has photographed one county. it files the damage done by the animal. it prints the places and not the people. it keeps what it is given. it does not restock, it does not explain, and it does not close the file.

what is not known is not in the file.

room i the file the holdings. lots 001–011, printed in editions of 24, numbered by hand, sealed in wax. enter room ii the bestiary three exhibits. one of them has never been photographed. enter room iii virginia the estate of the field photographer. the date stays open. enter

from the record · year ninety · latest entry

a trap was found at the county line, new-set and unsprung. a blue canary sat over it and sang, and did not move off.

read the record →

the next room → the file