Faces of Rural America
Photographer Biographies
These brief biographies offer a glimpse into the lives of the artisits. The artists behind the camera, creating the photos in Faces of Rural America that so often gave us a glimpse into the lives of their subjects.
Henry Clay Fleming
Fleming’s career was already established by the time personal photographs became increasingly popular in the 1920s. Despite the fact that many people could afford cameras during this period, a professional portrait offered a more formal image than a snapshot taken by an amateur. Though formal in presentation, Henry Clay Fleming's photographs nevertheless offer a glimpse into the story of the human experience: the closeness of family, the pain of poverty, the joy of friendship, and the innocence of youth.
Belle Johnson
Operating a successful enterprise photographing everything from weddings to high school athletics provided her financial security and enabled Johnson the opportunity to pursue her true passion: taking artistic photographs of women, children, animals, and flowers that earned her recognition on a national level.
