From the Camera to the Web: From the Camera to the Web: DOCUMERICA’s 30-Year JourneyDOCUMERICA’s 30-Year Journey

Jerry Simmons, Archives SpecialistJerry Simmons, Archives SpecialistNational Archives and Records AdministrationNational Archives and Records Administration

College Park, MarylandCollege Park, Maryland

Oil slick on New York Harbor at Liberty Island, May 1973, by Chester Higgins

New York City subway graffiti (Erik Calonius)

Signs advertising clean air to breath inColorado, May 1972, by Bill Gillette

Land for sale on Marathon Key, Florida, by Flip Schulke

DOCUMERICA captured the nationwide crisis,DOCUMERICA captured the nationwide crisis,

John’s Island, South Carolina

Gulf Coast beach

Jamaica Bay

East Boston

the controversy,the controversy,

the upbeat and positive,the upbeat and positive,

and sometimes, the downright creepy.and sometimes, the downright creepy.

Gifford D. Hampshire, Father of DOCUMERICA

Gifford D. Hampshire (far right) with Farm Security AdministrationVeteran photographers Arthur Rothstein (left) andRoy Stryker (center), ca. 1974Courtesy of the Gifford D. Hampshire Family, Fairfax, Va.

Hampshire’s guidelines for DOCUMERICA photographers:

… your first principal guideline is to establish a 1972 baseline of the environmentalproblems and accomplishments in the geographical area assigned to you.

Sailing on Chesapeake Bay, July 1973, by Mike Lien

Hampshire’s guidelines for DOCUMERICA photographers:

Your secondary guideline is to look for pictures wherever you are, for whatever purpose.Where you see people, there's an environmental element to which they are connected.The great DOCUMERICA pictures will show the connection and what it means.

48 states, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico …48 states, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico …

Mountains of Western Maine by Charles Steinhacker

House decoration inKey West, Florida byFlip Schulke

Pineapple plantation workerHenry Aki near Lanai City, Hawaiiby Charles O’Rear

View of Mount Drum, Alaska, near the point of the proposedOil pipeline crossing, by Dennis Cowals

Well known U.S. photographers contribute:Well known U.S. photographers contribute:

David Hiser

Charles O’Rear

Danny Lyon

Arthur Tress

Bill Gillette

DOCUMERICA on exhibit and on the road …

Numerous local viewings of early images introduce the American publicto the EPA’s documentary project.

Gifford Hampshire (left), Bill Ruckelshaus, first EPA administrator(center) and Tom Hart, EPA staffer (right) at the EPA offices, Oct. 1974

DOCUMERICA exhibit, ca. 1973:Pictured are (L-R): S. Dillon Ripley, Russell Train, Ann Dore and Gifford Hampshire

Images of America’s environmental and social crisis in vivid color:

Pollution in the air and water, deforestation, strip mining, and urban sprawl gounchecked …

Images of hope for the future … civic concern, government action andpersonal innovation give us hope for a brighter future.

DOCUMERICA on exhibit and on the road …

Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) hosts the first formal exhibitioncalled Our Only World, August-September 1972. Featured photographs included:

DOCUMERICA phases out, 1977-1979DOCUMERICA phases out, 1977-1979EPA administrators lose interest and funding evaporatesEPA administrators lose interest and funding evaporates

Love America, Stop Strip Mining, Oct. 1973,by Erik Calonius

Center for Creative Photography(University of Arizona)

Gifford Hampshire seeks a Gifford Hampshire seeks a permanent home for the 20,000+ permanent home for the 20,000+ negatives, slides, prints and negatives, slides, prints and papers as early as 1976papers as early as 1976

In late 1979, EPA signs agreement In late 1979, EPA signs agreement to transfer the entire collection to to transfer the entire collection to CCPCCP

DOCUMERICA ships from Berkey DOCUMERICA ships from Berkey K&L in New York City to CCP in K&L in New York City to CCP in Jan. 1980Jan. 1980

15,900+ color transparencies, 15,900+ color transparencies, duplicates, fiche and supporting duplicates, fiche and supporting files, estimated value: $450,000files, estimated value: $450,000

DOCUMERICA’s time at CCP is DOCUMERICA’s time at CCP is short-lived, Jan. 1980 to May 1981short-lived, Jan. 1980 to May 1981

National Archives takes National Archives takes possession of DOCUMERICA in possession of DOCUMERICA in May 1981May 1981

DOCUMERICA at NARA (College Park, Maryland)

Archives I, Washington, D.C.

Archives II,College Park, Maryland

DOCUMERICA in ARC (Archival Research Catalog)

http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/

DOCUMERICA in the era of social media (Web 2.0)DOCUMERICA in the era of social media (Web 2.0)

July 2009: NARA begins building a photostream on Flickr.com featuring several hundred imagesfrom DOCUMERICA

The Hitchhiker with his dog Trippertaken by Charles O’Rear along U.S. Route 66Near Topock, Arizona, May 1972