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How have you changed in the past 20 years?

June 19th, 2009 Mary K. - Central

Peter Feldstein found a unique way to record the history of his small town in Iowa with his book the Oxford Project.  It began in 1984 when he took a photograph of each of the town’s 676 residents.   His plan was to display them all for the town residents to view.  In the introduction, Stephen Bloom explains that Feldstein intended the project to be a social experiment, giving equal billing to each resident without pretense.  The photos show the residents dressed “as you are” as Feldstein instructed.  There is a wide variety of hats, uniforms, and costumes and even a raccoon and a lion.  Every resident is included, even babies.

It seems that Feldstein never intended to return to this project, but it is his return to and resumption of photography more than 20 years later that makes this book so interesting.  He decided to try to retake photos of the same people, as much as possible.  More than 100 of the original group had died and some had moved away, but most of them were still in Oxford.

This time, along with the original photograph and the contemporary one, there is a narrative written by Stephen Bloom, based on an interview with the resident.  Although the photos are fascinating, the brief stories combined with them are what makes the book so interesting.  The years have brought many experiences and life changes and these are summarized in just a few paragraphs.

The Oxford Project could be called a coffee table book; it is certainly one that can be looked at and enjoyed repeatedly.  It describes the values and life experiences of the interconnected residents of a small mid-western town, who display an unexpected variety of opinions and perspectives.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction