Wife of Ozark Mountains Farmer, Missouri
Shot by John Vachon, this picture was taken in May 1940.
Part of Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
More information about this item (Library of Congress)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It is many a long year since I saw a woman smoking a pipe. In Ireland they would have been white clay pipes.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it other than pictures or movies/video.
it would have been in the heart of the country when I was quite young. I always thought it strange.
I have indian blood and from what I’ve heard, my great grandmother used to smoke a peace pipe. So I guess this isn’t shocking to me. She looks as though she has done a full days’ worth of work and is taking a little break. And I am sure it wasn’t as well known back then how harmful tobacco is. Also, it may not have been as harmful back then because I don’t know when they started putting all sorts of chemicals into it. Not that I think it is a good habit or anything.