A Vibrant Past

In the mid 1930s, President Roosevelt initiated a series of economic relief programs known as the New Deal. Inheriting a nation's post-Depression illness, FDR's plan was to spend billions of federal dollars to create jobs, boost morale and rehabilitate the economy.

Government organizations such as the Works Progress Administration and the Farm Security Association hired photographers to document American life during World War II. The more prominent photographers included Gordon Parks, John Vachon and Dorothea Lange, known for her migrant worker series.

In photography, this era is typically rendered in black and white. But the Library of Congress recently has published a beautiful collection of large-format color transparencies to The Commons, a public domain on flickr.com. In light of today's Congressional vote on President Obama's proposed economic stimulus package, the Daily Picture Show presents images of a historically resilient and vibrant America.

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