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April 1939. "White migrant strawberry picker playing guitar in his tent near Hammond, Louisiana." Safety negative by Russell Lee. View full size.
It's like looking into a frozen moment in time in every detail. Extremely fascinating as all these images are. What is funny is to read the comments and how people tend to post flippant comments with absolutely no concept of perspective the time period and the situation. I see a young man living in a tent enjoying a short respite away from the rigor of hard work and poverty in extreme focus. Pointing out that he is a white migrant strawberry picker is not different if he were black and the title read black migrant strawberry picker. The moment, circumstance and situation would remain the same. So much detail and oddly enough beauty caught in one frame. It is amazing to me.
Perhaps a packet of rolling tobacco?
The University of North Carolina Libraries have some interesting details about Tobacco Bag Stringing.
may explain the shoes. Or vice versa (let's hope).
I'm trying to figure out what is in his pocket, and is it attached to that string?
[A pack of cigarettes. I recall having this discussion earlier about a different guitar player, but can't find it in the comments. Help! - Dave]
"Germ-Processed" motor oil came from castor beans, not corn, and was paraffin based. Castrol (a contraction of "castor oil") was one such product.
I don't know if I just have strange relatives (well yes I do, but I digress) or if it is a common superstition, but as far back as I can remember, we were warned NEVER to place a hat on a bed because a hat on a bed was a sign of impending death to someone close to you. Whenever I mention that today, people think I'm crazy (well maybe I am, but aren't we all?). Its a lot like breaking a mirror but worse.
[You and Matt Dillon. - Dave]
Maybe he was picking white migrant strawberries.
Funny how they felt it was necessary to point out that he is white.
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