Farm Services Admin Photographer Ben Shahn captured the people of Crossville and how he did it.

Another famous Farm Service Adminstration program photographer that photographed Crossville was Luithianan born Ben Shahn.  Shahn was a photographer as well as a painter and designer.  He developed a style he referred to as "social realism." 

Shahn exploited the portability of the 35mm camera to capture his subjects in an informal and spontaneous manner; he used a Leica with a right-angle viewfinder that enabled him to photograph subjects without their knowledge.

Shahn was the photographer that captured the people of Crossville at the time and in most of the images you can see the 35mm sprocket holes.  If a right angle viewfinder was used it would explain the lack of self consciousness of the subjects in the photo as they may not have realsized they were the subject of the photo. 

Women in Crossville. (This appears to be down 

E. Fourth St. Beside the Courthouse Square.)

Men Loafing Downtown Crossville. (Looking carefully,

the name on the store window appears to be 

Hill & Kemmer.)

Horse and Wagon beside what was then Brewers Store

and is now Frenchs Boots.

Bus Station on the North end of town next to where

the Mecca Theatre was. 

The Home Cafe Builidng with the railroad tracks right behind it.

Note the Real Estate sign on the 2nd floor.  This may have been

in the area of E. Fifth Street or Thurman Ave. The story is that

it burned one night after a special train came through and

a cinder landed on the roof starting the fire. 

Furniture store window in Crossville.

Another classic view of the direction signs that once graced

Main Street.  Brewer's Store is in the background. 

Men loafing at the original location of Mitchell's Drugs

across North St. from the Depot. 

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This photo actually captures photographer Ben Shahn (under the C in Crossville)

reflected in the Post Office window facing one way while shooting at the men

gathered in front of the window showing how he did it. 

While there was a lot of work to do there was

also time for some fun and dancing!

The dancers would often perform for special guests.

Dancers taught by Lenoard Kirk

Dance team at the Cumberland Homesteads

Andirons made at the Cumberland Homesteads

Weaving at Cumberland Homesteads

Chair seat woven at Cumberland Farms

Another Famous Photographer Arthur Rothstein visited the Cumberland Homesteads.

Arthur Rothstein was a college student in 1935 and was hired by a former professor as the first photographer for the Resettlement Administration and to set up the darkroom operation.  

The photos below were taken in 1937 according to the Libray of Congress and include photos of Crossville and the Cumberland Homesteads.  

Rothstein later worked for Look Magazine and the Office of War Information and Parade Magazine.  

 

Road Sign, Crossville Tennessee

The classic directional sign Crossville was famous for.

A reproduction of these signs sits on the Courthouse Lawn.

The House in the background and the business building are

both still standing in Crossville.

Cumberland Homesteads House

Interior of house at Cumberland Homesteads

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Cumberland Homesteads House

Cumberland Homesteads House

Cumberland Homesteads House

Cumberland Homestead photos by Carl Mydans in 1936 who later covered WWII for Life Magazine

These photos are credited to Carl Maydans from 1936.  Maydans was a photographer who worked for the Farm Services Administration and later for Life Magazine.  In fact, not long after these photos were taken, Mydans became one of the first staff photographers for Life.  As a war photographer, he was captured by the Japanese in the Phillippines and was later released in a prisoner exchange.  He covered the war in Europe then returned to the Phillippines to capture the moment when Gen. MacAurther "returned."  He also shot photos of the surrender of Japan on the USS Missouri. 

Trading Post at Cumberland Homesteads

Crossville, Tennessee

Interior of gristmill, turbine wheel type on 

Daddy's Creek

 

Interior of gristmill, turbine wheel type on 

Daddy's Creek (The box is interesting.)

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Closeup of stone house being built by the farmer

at Crossville Tennessee

Fireplace in office of Cumberland Homesteads

(The rectangle above the circle says 

"William Macy Stanton" 

the name of the architect/manager on the project.)

Cumberland Homesteads Crossville Tennessee

Farm Service Admisntration Photos of the Cumberland Homesteads from 1935

A number of government-paid photographers spent time at the Cumberland Homesteads in the 1930's taking photos of the people and the community and the work being done.  All these photos are from the Library of Congress.  Most of these photos do not have the photographer identified but one does.  The lady running the spinning wheel below is by FSA photographer Ben Shahn.

The Homesteads project started in 1934 and by the time it was wrapped up some 251 houses had been built with the help of those chosen to participate in the program.  The barns were built first and the families lived in them until their houses were completed.  

Interior of house at Cumberland Homesteads, 

Crossville, Tennessee

Interior of house at Cumberland Homesteads, 

Crossville, Tennessee

Interior of house at Cumberland Homesteads, 

Crossville, Tennessee

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Rock quarry used in the construction of Cumberland

Homesteads, Crossville Tennessee

Sawmill at Crossville Tennessee

Construction at Cumberland Homesteads

Erecting a fence at Cumberland Homesteads,

Crossville Tennessee

Rock quarry used in the construction of Cumberland

Homesteads, Crossville Tennessee

Sawmill, Crossville Tennessee

  

Construction on a Cumberland Homestead

Elanor Roosevelt addressing group at 

Cumberland Homesteads (Taken, according to a

good authority in 1934, not 1935)

Woman Carding at the Cumberland Homesteads

Crossville Tennessee

Woman running a spinning wheel at 

Cumberland Homesteads, Crossville Tennessee

by Ben Sahan

Woman weaving at Cumberland Homesteads

Crossville Tennessee

Interior of "little red schoolhouse"

Crossville Tennessee

Rare 1934 Photo of Main St. Downtown Crossville from the Hotel Taylor looking South

This photo came from a scrap book that was cut up and sold on eBay a number of years ago.  It was part of phto documentation of the Cumberland Homesteads and may have beloned to the arcitect William Macy Stanton.  The writing at the bottom of the photo appears to be in Stanton's own architect labeling handwriting.  The photo is from around 1934 and shows a Crossville of a much earlier time.  

The Mecca Theatre sign is prominent and you can see the Courthouse tower over the rooftops showing the time of 3:25 PM.  Gas was sold at the Harrison Auto Service business front left along with tires and car repair.

On the right of the photo you can see the railroad crossing, the original location of Mitchell's drugs before they moved up the block.  The second story of the first building reportedly a hotel since it was next door to the train station.  There is a barber shop and then Jack's Cafe.  

Down the block in the near center of the image is the old Jail that was torn down to make way for the US Post Office building in 1938 a few years after this photo was taken and the rebuilt 2nd Courthouse that burned in 1905.

It appears that the photo was taken from the 2nd-floor porch of the Taylor Hotel, what was then the best hotel in town.  

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