Mike Disfarmer - unknown photographer

[reellis67]

I'd never heard of this person before I listened to the NPR story I've linked below, but while listening to the story I was entranced by this fellow. He was apparently a very odd person - didn't fit in at all it sounds like - but he photographed the people in his community in their day-to-day selves rather than all made up for a portrait, and his efforts went undiscovered for 20 years before someone realized the value in what he had done.

A musician composed some music based on his impression of these photographs, and the man, and in the interview he posed what I though was a really fascinating observation - how many other people are floating around out there, doing something important, but never being discovered or appreciated until after they are dead? Now, I'm not part of the entitlement crowd who feel that everyone is extraordinary, but I do think that there are some people out there doing things like this, who are really under appreciated, or just plain unappreciated and it really stuck me when that came up in the interview.

I was moved by the depth that the musician went to to express his interpretation of this fellows life and work in a different art form, and I'm intrigued by his observation, so I though that I'd throw it out there in case someone else might be interested. It does focus a lot on the musician, but there is some interesting content on the photographer as well...

Mike Disfarmer NPR story

Mike Disfarmer's work

- Randy

 

[keithwms]

We had a looong thread about him about a year ago. The gist is that some found him very interesting, others found him to be an inside joke. Well it's a good thing we don't all think the same way

 

[reellis67]

Thanks Keith. I have no recollection of that thread. Time to do some searching!

- Randy

 

[dpurdy]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111897380

I was listening to NPR at that time too. That link is the story. I remember all the talk of Disfarmer here. I thought his work was a bit too dead pan and boring but after listening to Bill Frisell, the musician, talk about him it definitely perks my interest.
Dennis

 

[jimgalli]

We just finished the Boomtown History Conference III hosted this year at Tonopah, NV. One of the presenters had some study that went deeper into our local photographer of the same era minus perhaps 20 years. E. W. Smith photographed in Tonopah, Nevada from 1903 to about 1948. His photos are similarly unique and uniquely suited to a Nevada mining camp.

My only point is that perhaps every place had a Mike Disfarmer and it's interesting to me how we pick one of them to be a household word while all the others continue to languish.

But isn't that exactly how it is with modern day artists. One in a thousand gets noted and the other 999 just slug it out day to day.

This in no way minimizes Disfarmers (Meyers) accomplishments. I am one of the folks mesmerized by his portraits and I look at them by the hour. He truely is special in the fact that him being so weird and detached, his personality enters the picture 0%. From the looks of the portraits you walked into the studio almost like standing in front of one of the picture booths in a penny arcade, warts and all, whatever outfit you happened to be in that day, paid your 35 cents and picked up your portrait a day or two later. It is a page out of our collective history that I for one am extremely glad to have.

 

[keithwms]

Thanks Keith. I have no recollection of that thread. Time to do some searching!

- Randy

Here 'tis...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[sionnac]

I have a book of his work which is a catalogue from an exhibition: here's a link. Simple, 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch postcard format portraits for the most part, I find them compelling. Thanks for the NPR link.

 

[reellis67]

...My only point is that perhaps every place had a Mike Disfarmer and it's interesting to me how we pick one of them to be a household word while all the others continue to languish...

I agree - that's part of this story that really caught my attention and is the reason I commented as I did. I liked the work shown on his site, and the back story certainly added to my interest, but I couldn't help wondering how many anonymous others like him (with or without the eccentricities) there are out there, sitting undiscovered even now. I'd love to have the time and ability to wander the country looking for boxes of old plates like these. It would be even better if each community displayed their own versions of this person for all to see...

- Randy

 

[reellis67]

Here 'tis...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks for the link . I found that earlier, and some others, after your first post. You're right about that thread, lots of interesting comments in there to contemplate. I'm sorry I missed it the first time around...

- R