Window Shopping: A Photographic Journey Through Small Town America

Window Shopping: A Photographic Journey Through Small Town AmericaA Photographic Journey Through Small Town America is a series of photography books created from a two year project in which I traveled the back roads of America seeking to discover the essence of life in small towns. From the thousands of images documenting hundreds of towns, I discerned common themes that were evident in multiple towns across the country. I am featuring these themes in individual books. This one is called Window Shopping. This book

ÒA Photographic Journey Through Small Town AmericaÓ is a series of photography books created from a two-year project in which I traveled the back roads of America seeking to discover the essence of life in small towns. From the thousands of images documenting hundreds of towns, I discerned common themes that were evident in multiple towns across the country. I am featuring these themes in individual books.

This one is called ÒWindow Shopping.Ó This book contains a subset of small-town images depicting display windows from a variety of local shops and eateries, all of which are currently open and doing business. The content of the windows reveals a great deal about the culture of the towns and the people who live there. There are several aspects of the displays that serve as indicators of both the townÕs culture and the industry and economy of the local area. One is the choices the businesses make as to what they display, thus serving as the image they present. Another important indicator is the type of merchandise that they offer in their shop. The windows also often have announcements of local events or promotions. All of these aspects displayed in the windows allow us to make inferences about the town and its people. What do they tell us about the local economy and industry? Can anything be inferred about the local residentsÕ interests and the culture of the area? Beyond the specific inferences drawn from the shop windows, I hope that these images from all across the country provide enjoyment, and also give insight into the uniqueness of life in AmericaÕs small towns.