 | Memories of Life on the Farm: Through the Lens of Pioneer Photographer J. C. Allen 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. Frederick Whitford is an extensionspecialist for the PurdueCooperative Extension Servicein the College of Agriculture. He received a BS in wildlife management from Louisiana Tech University, and an MS and PhD in entomology from Iowa State University. He has authoredmore than 300 research, extension, and regulatory publications, and has delivered5,000 presentations to a wide array of audiences. Whitford has written five previous books on the history of agriculture for Purdue University and Indiana, all published by Purdue University Press: Scattering the Seeds of Knowledge: The Words and Works of Indiana's Pioneer County Agricultural Agents (2017); Enriching the HoosierFarm Family: A Photo History of Indiana's Early County Extension Agents (2016); For the Good of the Farmer: A Biography of John HarrisonSkinner (2013); The Queen of American Agriculture: A Biography of Virginia ClaypoolMeredith (2008) ; and The Grand Old Man of Purdue University and Indiana Agriculture: A Biography of William CarrollLatta (2005. NealHarmeyer is an archivist at the Purdue UniversityLibraries Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center in WestLafayette, Indiana. He grew up on a multigenerational family farm innortheastern Fayette County, Indiana, where he helped raise dairy and beefcattle as well as hogs. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Purdueand a master's degree in library science from Indiana University. |
