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Woman, Man and Child Between a Corn Field and a Stream in Iowa, 1897

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The side-by-side images show a man, woman, and young boy standing at the edge of a corn field. The corn is on the left of the picture. It has tassled out and is almost twice as tall as the two adults. The two adults are looking towards a tree-lined stream/river that runs on the right side of the picture. All three people are dressed up, not in work clothes.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Characteristic scene in the great corn belt, U.S.A.," 1897

Description

This image is intended to be used in a stereograph viewer. The side-by-side images in the viewer would provide a 3D image. Stereograph images were popular ways to see the world. This image was sold in the United States, Canada and Britain. These side-by-side images show a man, woman and young boy standing at the edge of a corn field. The corn is on the left of the picture. It has tassled out and is almost twice as tall as the two adults. The two adults are looking towards a tree-lined stream that runs on the right side of the picture. All three people are dressed up, not in work clothes.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • According to this image's description, this photo is supposed to be a typical scene in the corn belt. According to the image, what typically happens in the corn belt?
  • Compare this image to the image of the family posed with a haystack. What features of this stereograph image suggest it was constructed by non-farming people? Use specific evidence from the images to support your answer.
  • Compare this image to the description of Eldora. How were both of these sources creating something that non-farm people would have found familiar? (Hint: Consider the clothes in the stereograph image.)

Citation Information 

"Characteristic scene in the great corn belt, U.S.A.," 1897. Courtesy of Library of Congress