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October 1935. Another scene from the post office and store at Nethers, Virginia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA.
That's my grandfather on the right. He and my grandmother owned the store and lived next door. While I was growing up, the store had been torn down, but we spent wonderful times there.
This is a wonderful picture. I really enjoy the ones here that feature old ad signs and posters, along with great facial character studies.
The first thing I thought when I saw this picture was all the mothers who have told their children through the ages to sit up straight and KEEP ALL FOUR LEGS OF THE CHAIR ON THE GROUND!
My dad, Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985), was at the very center of photojournalism for over fifty years. Wikipedia offers a limited introduction.
The Library of Congress has a fabulous website with lots of Dad's photos ... very informative:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fachap05.html
He was interviewed by Richard Doud for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in 1964. It's an enlightening and entertaining interview you might enjoy reading!
Dad's wartime photography was pretty amazing too. Right after WW2 he documented the lives of the displaced survivors of the Holocaust in Shanghai and he covered the Great Famine in Ho Nan China for the United Nations.
During my lifetime, Dad wrote nine books and authored many articles. He was the Director of Photography at Look magazine while I was growing up. During those years he developed a 3D printing process known as the Xograph. When Look folded, Dad went to Parade. He mentored younger photographers. He taught, and he still had time for his family. Dad was a remarkable man!
To capture so many stories in the individuals' faces ... astounding.
I just love this man's eye. Thank you for bringing him out of obscurity (at least to me). He was a true romantic with a striking vision of small town America. Like Norman Rockwell in a way, but with a darker edge. Now I want to see a complete gallery retrospective of his work.
[He is, and you're welcome, and maybe his daughter Annie has some ideas? - Dave]
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