Once upon a time “working” and “going to the office” were expressing two completely different concepts of earning your money. Raymon Elozua collected thousands and thousands of photographs from pamphlets, technical brochures and company histories depicting men and women really working hard to survive. Dirt, noise, sweat, heat.
Quote: “ I grew up on the far South side of Chicago. Within blocks of my neighborhood stood the mills and factories of United States Steel, Wisconsin Steel, Republic Steel, General Mills, Ford Motor Company, Lever Brothers, International Harvester, and Standard Oil in addition to numerous other smaller industrial manufacturers.
Today the South Works is empty acreage, surrounded by “ South Chicago”, a destitute community of worn housing and vacant stores. This loss was a motivating factor when I first began collecting corporate histories back in 1979. I had discovered a copy of Fifty Years of U.S. Steel, self-published for its anniversary. This high quality book, expensively produced, contained superb photography and it sparked my interest in company histories. I began looking for pictures of men and woman at work, individuals who were living the American dream of creating a future for themselves, their family and their country, no matter the effort or hardship.”
I completely understand and I share the emotion.
BTW: Ever heard of the “Indian dream” or the “Chinese Dream”?
Lost Labor: Images of Vanished American Workers
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