Frederick Whitford, Neal Harmeyer Memories of Life on the Farm

Annotation

John Calvin Allen, professionally known as J. C., worked as aphotographer for Purdue University from 1909-1952, and operated his ownphotography business until his death in 1976. The J. C. Allen photographsrepresent a historical account of the transition from pioneer practices toscientific methodologies in agriculture and rural communities. During thismajor transitional period for agriculture, tractors replaced horses, hybridcorn supplanted open-pollinated corn, and soybeans changed from a novelty cropto regular rotation on most farms. During this time, purebred animals withbetter genetic pedigrees replaced run-of-the-mill livestock, and systematic diseaseprevention in cattle, swine, and poultry took place.Allen'sphotographs also document clothing styles, home furnishings, and the itemspeople thought important as they went about their daily lives. Looking closelyat tractors, livestock, wagons, planters, sprayers, harvesting equipment, andcrops gives one a sense of the changing and fast-paced world of agriculture at that time. This volume contains over 900 picturesque images, most never-before-seen, of men, women, and childrenworking on the farm, which remain powerful reminders of life in rural America at theturn of the twentieth century. As old farmhouses and barns fall victim toage, Allen photographs are all that remain. While those people and timesno longer exist today, they do remain "alive" because of the preservation ofthat history on film. A camera in his hands and an eye for photography allowed Allen to create indelible visual histories that continue to tellthe story of agriculture and rural life from long ago.