"Washington, D.C. Government charwoman who provides for a family of six on her salary of one thousand and eighty dollars per year"
While working as an apprentice with the Farm Security Administration (FSA) photography project, renowned photographer Gordon Parks (1912-2006) documented the African-American experience in Washington D.C. In 1942, he completed an eighty-five image series that focused on Mrs. Ella Watson, a twenty-five-year-old government charwoman. His work followed Mrs. Watson in both public and private realms, drawing attention to the multiple roles in her life.
Washington, D.C. Government charwoman who provides for a family of six on her salary of one thousand and eighty dollars per year. She puts ten percent of her salary in war bonds.
Source | Gordon Parks, "Washington, D.C. Government charwoman who provides for a family of six on her salary of one thousand and eighty dollars per year," photograph, August 1942, FSA - Office of War Information Collection, Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b14852.
Creator | Gordon Parks
Item Type | Photograph
Cite This document | Gordon Parks, “"Washington, D.C. Government charwoman who provides for a family of six on her salary of one thousand and eighty dollars per year",” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed April 20, 2024, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1109.
Creator | Gordon Parks
Item Type | Photograph
Cite This document | Gordon Parks, “"Washington, D.C. Government charwoman who provides for a family of six on her salary of one thousand and eighty dollars per year",” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed April 20, 2024, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1109.
