Farmers waiting for auction to begin. Oskaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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John F. Vachon, Farm Security Administration photographer, pictured in 1942. In Oct. of 1938, Vachon spent about two weeks in Kansas taking photographs for the FSA. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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This photograph, taken by Farm Security Administration photographer John Vachon, captures the Granada Theater in Lawrence, Kansas, in Oct. 1938. The caption reads: "Southern California architecture in Lawrence, Kansas". The photograph is one of 164,000 gathered by photographers between 1935-1945 for the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information. Both collections reside in the Prints and Photographs Division at the Library of Congress. Nearly 1,000 of the photographs were taken in the state of Kansas. ..

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Farmers at the auction. Oskaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon.Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farm wife waiting in the car while her husband attends the auction. Oskaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farm wives at auction. Oskaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. FFrom the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farmers at the auction sale, Oskaloosa, Kansas. Oct. 1938. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Negro tenant farmer, rehabilitation client, Jefferson County, Kansas. Oct. 1938. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Men talking politics in front of the hotel. Osakaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon, Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Son of a rehabilitation client. Jefferson County, May 1936. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Farmers waiting for the auction to begin. Oskaloosa, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farmer of Franklin County, Kansas. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Grocery store specializing in feed and seed. Topeka, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Proprietor of feed store, Topeka Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Lifting an engine with the eighty-ton cranes at the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad locomotive shops in Topeka, Kansas. This locomotive will be carried to another part of the shop to be wheeled. March 1943. Photo by Jack Delano. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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The Diamaxion house, metal, adapted corn bin, built by Butler Brothers, Kansas City. Designed and promoted by R. Buckminister Fuller. May 1941. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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A cavalry unit charges during a mock battle at Fort Riley, Kansas, in April of 1942. Photo by Jack Delano. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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The winds of the "dust bowl" have piled up large drifts of soil against this farmer's barn near Liberal, Kansas. 1930's photograph by FSA Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Wives of farmer laborites. Columbus, Kansas. May 1936. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Brookville, Kansas. Twelve Hereford steers on the C. K. ranch. Photo by Roger Smith. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farmer signing a wind erosion agreement. He will receive twenty cents an acre for listing a certain percentage of his total acreage. Dodge City, Kansas. March of 1936. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Bank that failed. Kansas.Photo by Arthur Rothstein.From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Farm Security Administration

Steam shovels. Cherokee County, Kansas. May 1936. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Yates Center. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Farmer on the street, Minneapolis, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945.

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Main street of Minneapolis, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

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Thirty year-old mule; the girl is twenty-five. Farm in Coffey County, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration

Toronto, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. Oct, 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration

Rehabilitation client feeding chickens. Ottawa County, Kansas. Oct. 1938. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration

Farm Security Administration client, right, showing a Coffey County supervisor pumpkins she raised. Photo by John Vachon. Oct. 1938. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration

County supervisor talking with FSA (Farm Security Administration) client. Coffey County, Kansas. Photo by John Vachon. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration

Church near Junction City, Kansas. One of the few color images Vachon or any other FSA photographer shot while in Kansas. Photo by John Vachon.1942 or 1943. From the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.America From the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-OWI, 1935-1945 .

Photo by Farm Security Administration..Va