LUCEO will be documenting the decline of small town America as a group project over the coming year. Over this course of time, LUCEO members will commit several sessions of 24-48 hours documenting various aspects of life in rural America in different towns across the country. Among our goals is to record history during a unique shift which may very well lead to the demise of these places that once stood as the core of America. One of the most exciting parts of the project to me is working together with my colleagues towards a common goal, and this idea that what we can create as a team is greater than just the sum of our individual parts – one of the same notions that drives our partner network, some of whom we will likely be collaborating with as the project evolves.
Our first stop took Matt Slaby, Kendrick Brinson, and I to Lebanon, Kansas, which totes itself as the geographic center of the Contiguous United States. We had done what research we could but descended upon the town with an open mind to the portrait we would paint of the place. We wanted to search for images that went beyond fact and began to tap into the mood and tone. What I saw was a place which may be dying, but was beautiful and shining through the people there and the way of life they preserved. Stay tuned for more with a group post edited by Matt Eich with some unique contributions in experimentation from Matt Slaby (that would be the sleeping man in the last photo in our motel room).
To read Kendrick Brinson’s heartfelt words about this magic little place and get a better understanding of the good people of Lebanon, check out her blog post here.
phil de jong
July 5th, 2010, 5:18 pm #
I normally don’t like to start discussions in electronic forums, however, I reacted quite gutturally upon reading the first sentence of this post.
Naturally, I looked at the photos (which as a disclaimer are stunning as usual) first and then went back to read. My initial response was that I didn’t see any “decline” in the photographs accompanying and I found it surprising that six of the brightest and talented emerging photographers around would jump to a conclusion that (or effort to) they are documenting decline/poverty in towns they have spent 48 hours in when they it appears they are merely bearing witness to culture and lifestyle.
In the photographs I see age, weathering and outdated stylings, but i also see clean interiors, well manicured lawns and even some local industry. The one image that depicts decline (dilapidated home) could be found in almost any town. That being said, I don’t dispute this community is in “decline”. I feel that such a statement needs context, i.e. declining in relation to what? time? socio-economic status? health? And I understand the residents may have expressed such a economic or social depression. But I don’t see it.
At the end of this I guess my point is that this feels to be well done documentation of small town america. I also feel that as journalists we need to be careful of the words we use to sensationalize our imagery. If it’s a question of media and relevancy, it feels forced at this point.
I look forward to seeing the rest of the project and assume you are doing research on the towns you plan to visit or have already been there and decline will no doubt come into play in the future. It was frustrating to see luceo attach a label to something that didn’t feel as such.
cheers.
Matt Slaby
July 5th, 2010, 5:33 pm #
Hey Phil,
Of six of us, I’m especially sympathetic to your point and that’s definitely not how I’d characterize Lebanon. My father’s side of the family is from a town 20 miles to the north, a place that could also be characterized as ‘in decline.’ Personally –and this is something that I feel strongly about –I feel like that’s an easy read on an area with a lot more character and history than is obvious at first blush.
At any rate, I’m sure David will respond and clarify his thoughts. Just to add to the discussion, I think your point is valid and will hopefully help the entire group develop the work as we move forward.
-MS
brianandash
July 6th, 2010, 12:19 am #
I understand Phil’s reaction and initial feelings of trepidation, but I think referring to Lebanon as a town in a state of decline is already defended in Kendrick’s post when she explains that although “the school is closed now and has been for 20 years (children go to school in a neighboring town over a dozen miles away), former students return to celebrate their 70th to 80th reunions.” This means that while there may be an increase in space, there has clearly been a decline in youth and jobs (teachers, principals, janitors, etc.), which will ultimately threaten the town’s sustainability.
In David’s post, he makes an excellent point of noting the beauty of Lebanon’s preservation of what many would view as an out-dated way of life. In today’s America, in a country where our food system has made little room for the success small-town agriculture, this is a shared attribute among small towns that have few opportunities for newcomers and thus fewer and fewer citizens. It is a shared attribute among towns that fall into a state of decline, if you will.
Although perhaps David could have explained himself a bit more thoroughly, I’ve seen enough of Luceo’s work to trust that all of the photographers know what’s at stake in a story like this, and I am excited to see what the collective does with this project.
–AS
peter hoffman
July 6th, 2010, 1:06 am #
Not much to say here other than I had the same reaction as Phil, and I’m glad he already spoke up.
Daryl Peveto
July 7th, 2010, 2:46 am #
I think some of this conversation, while thoughtful, is lost in semantics – the idea of decline, as mentioned in David’s post and in the larger project we are undertaking, is not necessarily one of poverty or decay as Phil mentioned, but rather of populations and therefore a way of life. I grew up in rural Texas; my grandparents were local farmers. I have fond memories of playing in the corn fields, shucking peas with my grandmother, making sugarcane syrup with my family from a press that my great, great, great grandfather bought from Sears and Roebuck. Their way of life no longer exists or is deeply difficult to maintain. During the 80’s, fueled largely by the farm crisis, there was a huge drop in rural population. Iowa alone dropped by 5.1%, Wyoming 3.9%. In 1950, 44% of Americans lived on farms and in small towns. That number is now closer to 17%. Phil, these are not ideas we are throwing out to sensationalize this project, but rather they are sobering statistics of the decline of rural America.
As small towns lose their ability to maintain local jobs, their numbers dwindle, as does the money that flows within the town. Soon, the local school closes, then the fire station and the local library. As opportunities leave, so do the people. When you have to bus your children 30 miles to the next county so that they can go to school, there is less incentive to stay. For the first time in our history there are more deaths in most rural towns than there are births.
I believe we need a balance between rural and urban populations. By having vibrant economies in rural America, we relieve congestion in urban areas and improve the quality of life for both. Rural economies also play an important role in strengthening the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, because of the pressures of globalization, the stranglehold agribusiness hold over our economy, the lack of fast growing tech-based industries in rural areas, the fact that rural areas rely more on slow-growth, goods producing industries and that deregulation has benefited urban areas much more than rural, their economies have suffered disproportionately to their urban counterparts. If more opportunities existed in rural communities, some people living in urban areas would move back. Indeed some locals might not have to leave.
Having stated this, the image of the all-American small town is still deeply ingrained in our psyche for a reason. There is a beauty in its simplicity. Life where I grew up lacked many things I enjoy about living in a urban environment – access to restaurants and entertainment, a sense of anonymity, etc… – but is also has a quality of life that I deeply miss – strong familial bonds, a strong sense of community and of place. Indeed most families that live in rural towns have lived there for generations.
Charles H. Hassebrook, a policy analyst for the Center for Rural Affairs, has a view of rural America that sums up part of my interest in this project, ”People in metropolitan areas tend to either romanticize or ridicule life in small towns. Neither of the stereotypes fit. But the decline in rural areas will diminish the larger society. At a wedding in a small town, you can find the lawyer, the banker and the guy who changes tires at the gas station. I don’t think you find that in many metropolitan areas. And it would be a shame to lose that sense of egalitarianism.”
So there is a decline in rural America. My hope is to capture the many facets of life there, as well as the challenges and consequences of the decline of its population. It is a huge project, with many facets, so I hope you will stay tuned as it develops.
Donna Schrieber
July 8th, 2010, 1:56 am #
Sure wish you would move to a rural town….maybe in Texas…
just to know how great it is. I know you would love it!
phil de jong
July 8th, 2010, 2:12 pm #
daryl,
i was not offering a point of contention, rather one of potential clarity that could be offered. i found it odd that a word like decline, which is a loaded word in our industry, was used where none of the blog posts so far have shown it. So my question was a concern for clarity in the heart of the project. I think it is a fantastic project to undertake and I believe that luceo is truthful when they are approaching a story rooted in decline [except for that eich kid, he is a dmaned liar], i was just offering that i saw none. If there is none it is the constant struggle of the photojournalist in showing something that doesn’t tangibly exist, but is an idea or concept.
Just trying to challenge some fellow journalists to clearer/better on a point I felt a strong reaction on. Nothing more.
cheers.
phil de Jong
July 8th, 2010, 2:30 pm #
Daryl,
To add one more thought; using a word such as decline without a visual or literal explanation only reinforces individuals stereotypes who are unclear of what rural decline actually is.
And as freelance photographers we can all say hooray for meritocracy!
Cheers.
David Walter Banks
July 8th, 2010, 5:57 pm #
Phil and Peter,
Pardon my slow reply. I’ve been out of the country with no internet, but I’m always glad when any of our posts can generate a conversation. Daryl really answered the question as best I could, and I do believe it was lost in semantics more than anything. I certainly didn’t mean the word decline to be used in a derogatory or sensationalised sense whatsoever. The people I met and spent time with were wonderful and the town was filled with culture and pride. The facts however cannot be denied that Lebanon and towns like it across the US are in decline. A local farmer told us that the amount of farmers in the town dropped from around 100 to around 30 in recent years and they’re still expected to produce the same amount. The town’s main street has dropped to only a few businesses still open. The school closed down, and these are only a few of the obvious examples I came across in spending time with the people there. Kendrick’s first and third photos do show this pretty directly. Personally, I’m more interested in working to paint a portrait of these places as they are, and as they long have been, while they are still around. I look forward to your continued critique as the project progresses, and I’m always open to thoughts and disagreements that will better the work and conversation. I made the post in a bit of a hurry the night before I hit the road for a couple weeks and rushed it a bit. In the future, I’ll work to better explain myself and include more of the research involved.
Cheers,
-dwb-
Josh
July 11th, 2010, 10:50 am #
All, I enjoyed the great discussion and I look forward to seeing more of this project. The photos are great reminders of what rural life is. As I grew up nearly as rural as you can get 50 miles from town, 20 of it gravel and I went to a one room K-8 rural school with as many as 12 students one year. I know from my experience growing up in rural communities how much has changed in the last two decades, whether it’s the farmer, rancher or logger that is finding it harder to make ends meat.
Again thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing more, if you ever need some suggestions for communities that have changed greatly over the last two decades I know of many in eastern Oregon.
Bill Crandall
July 13th, 2010, 12:02 pm #
That small-town America is in decline is true, at least in a long-term, big-picture way. Sure, the photogs are not necessarily showing decline per se, and I personally didn’t have that expectation. ‘Dang it, if it’s about dee-cline, show me the damn dee-cline!’ the editor thundered
.
Come on. Small towns are in decline, so the photogs strive to show the life amid decline. It’s completely natural. Just because they’re not there to show how bad it is doesn’t mean it’s not declining, or that they shot the wrong things the wrong way. Since I agree you do have to be careful how you explain yourself, I suppose they could describe it slightly differently (‘life in declining small-town America’ or whatever).
Matt Kowal
July 13th, 2010, 3:31 pm #
This discussion has really outstripped the photography. I high recommend reading Kendrick’s post as it fills in a lot of the empty mental space created by captionless images > http://luceoimages.com/2010/06/small-town-usa-lebanon-kansas/
#note to self, combine^3
Josh R.
July 15th, 2010, 12:07 pm #
Beautiful pictures.
New2lebanon
October 14th, 2011, 8:52 pm #
Being new to town I am excited to find this information about the place I now call home. I moved here specifically because the cost of living and crime of larger towns scare me to no end. Just as there are new buildings that don’t seem to fit in with the small town decline there are a mix of people here and not everyone fits the mold. I first thought Lebanon was a “dying” community because of the age of the buildings and people but now I understand it’s a living community, this is a place where nothing and no one are ever to old to be of great service if they so desire. Since moving here I have hosted visitors from all over the States and other Countries and they all love it here. It really is the only place Totto and Dorothy can really call home!
David Walter Banks
October 17th, 2011, 9:53 am #
So glad you’re enjoying your new town ‘New2Lebanon’. It truly is a great community, and you should be proud to call it home.