Following on from my research into National Geographic’s representation of America, I was interested to watch a BBC documentary about another iconic American publication - Life Magazine. Although I was familiar with Life, I did not know how influential it had been - the documentary states that at times, it was read by over half of the country’s population. I also didn’t realize that in delivering stories primarily visually through photo essays, it had been the first magazine of its kind. 

 I found an interview with with Life photographer Burk Uzzle to resonate with me. He had some interesting views on living in, and photographing, small town America.

‘The Ideology of the magazine was to go for that superb moment, the exalted moment. […] So, why would I live in a small town? In a way, its more intense here than it ever was in New York.. All the years that I lived in New York. Because, I get to know the people more deeply. I’m more involved. So there is an intensity of involvement possible within all the aspects of America in this little town of Wilson, more than I ever had in New York.’ (Uzzle, 2011)

Burk Uzzle ‘Mississippi Farmers’

Burk Uzzle ‘Wilson Tobacco Market’

On The Road. 2015. America in Pictures: The Story of LIFE Magazine. [Online]. [Accessed 21 March 2018]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRm-uIscwdY&t=1528s