American Photographs

Mill worker, Saturday afternoon, Lewiston, Maine, August, 1973

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Teen couple Friday night, Oxford Speedway, near Lewiston, Maine, September 1973

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Women leaving work for the day, Hana Shoe Factory, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Men making shoes, Hana Shoe Factory, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Stairwell, Bates Linen Mill, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Machinists, Bates Linen Mill, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Folding bed spreads, Bates Linen Mill, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Loom operator, Bates Linen Mill , Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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Fabric designer, Bates Linen Mill, Lewiston, Maine, August 1973

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I started my walk in Brunswick, ME, towards the end of August and spent a lot of time in and around Lewiston, ME, fascinated by the mills and the city. I was graciously granted permission to shoot in some of the mills like Bates which was a bit of luck because no photographers had been allowed in Bates, at least, since Lewis Hines took pictures there for his book deploring child labor in the late 1800s. After leaving Lewiston in early September I ventured across New Hampshire and reaching Vermont firmly decided to walk all the way across the US. I stayed with friends in Adamant, VT, and began the process of finding sponsors. I was offered equipment and support from Eastern Mountain Sports, L.L. Bean, Ilford Film, Kodak, Nikon and Tripod Camera of Northampton, MA. While in Vermont I also worked and saved money for my adventure. During December I experimented with various technical aspects by walking a good part of Vermont. I finally set out in early January 1974 from Monteplier, VT.

Robbie Porter butchering a pig, Adamant, Vermont, December 1973

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Chrissy, Adamant, Vermont, December 1973

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Rabbit hunters, Worcester, Vermont, December 1973

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Man shoveling horse manure, Montpelier, Vermont, December 1973

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Carpenters building ski chalets and condominums, Waitsfield, Vermont, December 1973

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Dairy farmer, Roxbury, Vermont, December 1973

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Afternoon customer, Zemo's Dugout Bar, Rutland, Vermont, December 1973

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World famous waitress, Lindholm's Diner, Rutland, Vermont, December 1973

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Rabbit killed by a car, Dorset, Vermont, December 1973

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State highway worker, Manchester, Vermont, December 1973

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Elementary school students arriving at school, Pownal, Vermont, December 1973

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Elementary school students arriving at school, Pownal, Vermont, December 1973

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Elementary school students, Manchester, Vermont, December 1973

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Hampshire Collge graduates, Amherst, Massachusetts, May 1974

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Hampshire Collge graduates, Amherst, Massachusetts, May 1974

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Spectators, college ice hockey game, Amherst, Massachusetts, January 1974

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Spectators, college ice hockey game, Amherst, Massachusetts, January 1974

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John Earle and his sister at home, Darien, Connecticut, January 1974

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Students Darien High School, Darien, Connecticut, January 1974

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Gas station owner, Post Road, Westport, Connecticut, January 1974

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Upwardly mobile couple, Westport, Connecticut, January 1974

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Commuters, Stanford, Connecticut, January 1974

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Commuter, New York City, January 1974

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Sailors aboard ship, New York City, January 1974

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Doorman, Central Park West, New York City, January 1974

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Street characters, New York City, January 1974

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Actress, New York City, January 1974

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Stock broker, Wall Stret, January 1974

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Parking lot attendant, New York City, January 1974

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Museum of Modern Art, New York City, January 1974

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Waitress at Truck Stop near Stroudsburg, PA, February 1974

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Woman at her door, Leighton, PA, February 1974

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Three gorgeous women, Washington, PA, February 1974

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The three musketeers, Washington, PA, February 1974

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The Know-it-all, near Tamaqua, PA, Feburary 1974

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School crossing guard, Tamaqua, PA, February 1974

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'Janney', Coal mine foreman and his wife, Coaldale, PA, February 1974

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'Janney', coal mine foreman and his wife, Coaldale, PA, February 1974

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Ash man, Pottsville, PA, February 1974

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Miners emerging from mine at end of shift, near New Philadelphia, PA, February 1974

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Boot Leg mine with miners coming up at end of shift, February 1974

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Boot leg coal miner #1, New Philadlphia, PA, Feburary 1974

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Boot leg coal miner #2, New Philadelphia, PA, February 1974

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Boot leg coal miner #3, New Philadelphia, PA, February 1974

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Friday night, couple watching television at home, State College, PA, February 1974

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Saturday night at the movies, Lewiston, PA, February 1974

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Sunday morning, couple on their way to church, Lewiston, PA, March 1974

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Sunday morning, sharing a 'joint', Lewiston, PA, March 1974

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The tough guy, Sunbury, PA, March 1974

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Patricia, near Pittsburg, February 1974

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Patricia's Grandmother at 90 years old, near Pittsburg, PA, February 1974

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Patricia's mother-in-law, Aliquipa, PA, February 1974

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Newly weds, Patricia and Brink, Pittsburg, February 1974

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Pittsburg steel mill sales executive, March 1974

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Salesman leaving early for long commute to work, Pittsburg, PA, March 1974

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Young man working on his car behind his house, Morgan County, WVA, March 1974

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Ellery Brown, playing his fiddle, Morgan County, WVA, March 1974

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My first morning in West Virginia, just south of Morgantown, the proprietor of a small store on the back road I was walking along told me about Ellery. She gave me direction to his house that was on the side of a mountain without a road to it; just an old path. Ellery was famous she said. Ellery had just received a letter from President Nixon congratulating him for living to be 100 years old. Ellery was all of 101 and an astonishing person. A former University professor, an accomplished writer and musician, he lived with his dog in a 200 year old house made of split hickory logs that his great grandfather built. He lived with admirable frugality. I spent two days and nights with him. We walked a lot, both in the woods and along old roads, and we sat on his front porch in the spring sun. We talked constantly. He had a lot to say so I did a fair amount of listening. In the evenings he read me his poetry and went to bed as shortly after the sun set. He was a lovely, rare human being.

Ellery Brown at 101 years old, Morgan County, WVa, March 1974

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Ellery Brown, reading poetry by an unshaded light bulb, Morgan County, March 1974

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First Day of Spring, Hampshire County, WVA, March 1974

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Filling up at the pump, Randolph County, WVA, March 1974

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Political advertisement, Taylor County, WVA, March 1974

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Spring ritual, Taylor County, WVA, March 1974

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Men butchering cows beside the road, Logan County, WVA, March 1974

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Butchering cows beside the road, Logan County, WVA, March 1974

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The tidy executive, Charlestown, WVA, March 1974

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Kids on the street on a warm, spring afternoon, Charlestown, WVA, March 1974

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Charlestown, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co., miners ending a shift, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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I talked to coal miners in the bars and club around Logan, WVA, and finally got an invitation to visit a coal mine. This picture and the ones following were all taken at the Chapin Company mine in Man, WVA, over several days. The miners I met there were hilarious, gracious and hard working. Unlike "gallery" mines in which miners can stand up to work, the Chapin mines were low-ceilinged "drift" mines worked with specialized equipement like the "buggy" which carried the miners in to the mine "face" and brought the coal out. I rode the 'buggy' into one of the mines and when we came back out I was really, really happy to see the light of day again.

Chapin Coal Co., miners coming from mine at end of shift, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co. two miners just off shift and cleaned up, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co., miner coming off shift, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Coal buggy, Chapin Coal Co., near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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The coal buggy is used to extract the coal from the mine "shaft". These mines are called drift mines and are not really shafts but seams of coals four or five feet thick that go back into through the mountains and the coal is removed horizontally. When the coal has been removed the support cribs are knocked down and the mountain settles.

Coal buggy, Chapin Coal Co., near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co. miner, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co. miner coming out of the coal mine at the end of his shift, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Chapin Coal Co. miners, near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Second shift about to go into the mine, Chapin Coal Co., near Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Buster Scaggs, Coal Company CEO, Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Coal Miners' Union President and his wife, Logan, WVA, March 1974

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Prison boxer, West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, WVA, March 1974

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Prison guards, West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, WVA, March 1974

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Warden (right) and Captain of the Guards, West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, WVA, March 1974

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West Virginia State Penitentiary inmate serving life sentence, Moundsville, WVA, March 1974

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Warden's wife, West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, WVA, March 1974

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The red umbrella, near Harlan, KY, March 1974

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Saturday in the park, Frankfort, KY, April 1974

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Easter Sunday after services, Richmond, KY, April 1974

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Planting the first tomato, near Frankfort, KY, Easter Sunday, 1974

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Three youths in juvenile detention center, near Frankfort, KY, April 1974

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Two women at the Calvert's bottling plant, Frankfort, KY, April 1974

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