Some time in the early 1990s I came across Jack Delano’s work in a photography book titled “Puerto Rico Mio: Four Decades of Change.” Here Mr. Delano compared images from his first visit to the island in the 1940s with those he later made of the same sites 40 years later. Delano had first traveled to Puerto Rico in 1941 while working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and in 1946, after his service with the U.S Army Air Forces, he returned, having received a Guggenheim Fellowship to photograph the island.
Coming of age in the 1970s-early 1980s in Puerto Rico as I did, was to witness socioeconomic changes that saw my grandmother raised in a shack yet found me in a first-world college prep school with eyes set on the Ivy League. Delano’s images are stirring and magnificent, capturing a people and place in deep flux. I highly recommend his photo book on Puerto Rico if you can find it.
Delving further into his work I noticed he had experimented with light photography / light painting with long exposure shots using mostly natural light for effect. Many of these images are well known but they were a surprising treat for me.
“Chicago Railyards,” Jack Delano, 1942
“Chicago Union Station,” Jack Delano, 1943
Carl Kruse uses both images from the public domain — photographs from the U.S. Farm Security Admin., which employed Jack Delano in the early 1940s.
I invite everyone to learn more about Jack Delano, a photographer of his time, and beyond.
Contact: info AT carlkruse DOT net
Delano seems to have been a great photographer and artist. Good stuff Carl Kruse.
Many thanks! Delano was an incredible artist. Thanks again for stopping by.
– Carl Kruse
Love, love, love Jack Delano. Such an underrated photographer. Greetings Carl Kruse!
Alberto
Agreed Alberto that Delano was an underrated photographer and a great artist to boot. Thanks for stopping by.
Carl Kruse
Taking another peek at Delano’s photography and wondering why the man was not better known, even today.
Carl Kruse
He is fairly well known Carl Kruse. 🙂
Right you are. I was just thinking he aught to be even better known. 🙂
– Carl Kruse
Very good article. I absolutely appreciate this site. Keep it up!
Thank you Chelsea!
Carl Kruse
That beautiful light photography. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for stopping by Tommy!
Carl Kruse
Thank you for sharing this piece with me.
You’re super welcome Alessandra. I was happy to run into your post.
Carl Kruse
Great article.
I like your blog. Nice colors and theme and great authors.
Did you create this website yourself or did you hire
someone to do it for you? Please respond as I’m
looking to construct my own blog and would like to
find out how you constructed your site. Thanks in advance.
Hello Carl Kruse. When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Thanks!
Hi there! Apologies, but I do not see you listed in the user database nor do I see your original comment nor has anyone else had a similar issue.
Please email me with further details if you still need help.
Cheers,
Carl Kruse
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Jack Delano. Regards.
Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer for your
site. You have some really great posts and I think I would be a good asset.
If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to
write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back
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