Providing a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War, each volume in the Fields of Vision series focuses on a single photographer whose vision helped shape the collective identity of America and influenced the way we look at photographs in the 21st century. All of the images in each volume are chosen from the Library of Congress’s renowned collection of Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs. Born into poverty in Kansas, Gordon Parks (1912–2006) rose to become one of the most celebrated photographers of the twentieth century. He was inspired to teach himself photography after seeing Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographs in a magazine, and joined the FSA staff in 1941. He later worked for Life magazine and was also a successful musician and composer, the author of many books, and a director.