Half Past Autumn Analysis

Gordon Parks was an African American photographer that had a very rich and diverse body of work from black and white photography to motion picture films. Parks was known for taking photos of social injustice, poverty, and racism in the United States. “Half Past Autumn: A Retrospective Exhibition” was organized in 1997 by the Corcoran Museum of Art which showcased his astonishing works of art. The book Half Past Autumn: The Art of Gordon Parks was also released in 1997 includes over 200 photographs that illustrate Parks work. One photo included in the book was shot in 1942 called “Children with Doll” was a powerful image. At first glance, this photo could be identified as an innocent moment captured of the children playing with their life-size doll. Ironically, this photo was taken in the home of a poor African American family twelve years before the Civil Rights Movement and twenty-two years before the abolishment of segregation. During this time America was still divided into black and white. In

The doll for the children may represent perfection, something precious, like the white children they may see when they read fairytales. The doll has long flowy hair, fair skin while the girl’s hair is short and messy. The boy has his head down as if he is thinking maybe even fantasying about the life outside the one he’s living. The doll for the girl makes her hope that one day she could be just like the doll and the boy could actually show affection for someone that looks like the doll. Parks’s work is has had such an influence in history and he has used his skill to show talk about the issues that were happening during that time. Although this photo seems simple it has a very important message about the underlying signs of sorrow, neglect, and the stages that could cause self-hate in the African-American