Martha Olson graduated from Northwestern University with her B.A. in Art in 1969, and within a year, she was working more than 800 miles away as the girls’ physical education teacher at Marion High School in Columbia, Mississippi. It was the first year of integration in Mississippi public schools. During that time, Olson photographed local students, their relatives, and other residents of Marion County, which she later compiled into a series entitled, "Marion County Mississippi: 1970-1971."
Description
A black and white photograph of Ida Mae Nelson (left) and her mom Irean Johnson (right). Both women are standing outside of a house and facing the camera. Nelson wears a top with a sweater over her shoulders and striped bell-bottom pants. She is holding a chain in her hands. Johnson wears a button-up shirt over a tunic and bell-bottom jeans. A car is visible in the background. A house is partially visible on the right side of the image. On the back of the photograph are handwritten inscriptions identifying the subject, date, and photographer.
Martha Olson graduated from Northwestern University with her B.A. in Art in 1969, and within a year, she was working more than 800 miles away as the girls’ physical education teacher at Marion High School in Columbia, Mississippi. It was the first year of integration in Mississippi public schools. During that time, Olson photographed local students, their relatives, and other residents of Marion County, which she later compiled into a series entitled, "Marion County Mississippi: 1970-1971."
Description
A black and white photograph of Irean Johnson. She is standing, turned towards the left of the image, with her proper right arm outstretched. A dog stands on its hind legs and places it front paws on Johnson proper right side. Johnson is wearing a hat, a button down shirt over a long tunic, and jeans. A car and a building are visible in the background of the image. On the back of the photograph is a handwritten inscription reading [Irean Johnson (Ida May's mom)].