In 1984, photographer Peter Feldstein set out to photograph every single resident of his town, Oxford, Iowa (pop. 676). He converted an abandoned storefront on Main Street into a makeshift studio and posted fliers inviting people to stop by. At first they trickled in slowly, but in the end, nearly all of Oxford stood before Feldstein's lens. Twenty years later, Feldstein decided to do it again. Only this time he invited writer Stephen G. Bloom to join him, and together they went in search of the same Oxford residents Feldstein had originally shot two decades earlier. Some had moved. Most had stayed. Others had passed away. All were marked by the passage of time. In a place like Oxford, not only does everyone know everyone else, but also everyone else's brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, lovers, secrets, failures, dreams, and favorite pot luck recipes. This intricate web of human connections between neighbors friends, and family, is the mainstay of small town American life, a disappearing culture that is unforgettably captured in Feldstein's candid black-and-white portraiture and Bloom's astonishing rural storytelling. Meet the town auctioneer who fell in love with his wife in high school while ice-skating together on local ponds; his wife who recalls the dress she wore as his prom date over fifty years ago; a retired buck skinner who started a gospel church and awaits the rapture in 2028; the donut baker at the Depot who went from having to be weighed on a livestock scale to losing over 150 pounds with the support of all of Oxford; a twenty-one-year-old man photographed in 1984 as an infant in his father's arms, who has now survived both of his parents due to tragedy and illness. Considered side-by-side, the portraits reveal the inevitable transformations of aging: wider waistlines, wrinkled skin, eyeglasses, and bowed backs. Babies and children have instantly sprouted into young nurses, truck drivers, teachers, and rodeo riders, become Buddhists, racists, democrats, and drug addicts. The courses of lives have been irrevocably altered by deaths, births, marriages, and divorces. Some have lost God--others have found Him. But there are also those for whom it appears time has almost stood still. Kevin Somerville looks eerily identical in his 1984 and 2004 portraits, right down to his worn overalls, shaggy mane, and pale sunglasses. Only the graying of his lumberjack beard gives away the years that have passed. Face after face, story after story, what quietly emerges is a living composite of a quintessential Midwestern community, told through the words and images of its residents--then and now. In a town where newcomers are recognized by the sound of an unfamiliar engine idle, The Oxford Project invites you to discover the unexpected details, the heartbreak, and the reality of lives lived on the fringe of our urban culture.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
like a modern-day Spoon River Anthology This incredibly relevatory account of the Americans of Oxford, Iowa, reminds me of Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology". The pared-down text reads like poetry, intensely meaningful. The simple and stark pictures, both portraits and landscapes of the town and surrounding countryside, will grip your attention. Reading and looking through this book will reward you with the experience of stepping into the living rooms and workplaces of the people and getting to know them intimately, as they know each... more info
The Oxford Project I first read about this book and thought it was an interesting concept. It was fascinating to see the changes or lack of in each persons apprearance 20 yrs later and to read about that person.
We're far more interesting that I thought. The folks that are the subject of this book, although I'm from southern Minnesota, are the people I know, everyone of them. From the Vets who march in the parades I go to, to the women who pour my coffee in the local restaurants. These little, sometimes stunningly candid descriptions of their lives are at least as impressive as the photos. I guess I'll correct that first sentence. I thought I knew them. I know them much better now, and I also like them more than I did. And as a result I feel better about my... more info
A "Novel" Idea - Well Done! This is the ultimate "before and after" approach to documenting the lives of the participants. VERY interesting reading, great conversation piece, definitely a collectible item. Would make a great gift for book collectors and offers many other ideas for stimulating the creative genius inside budding photographers!
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