The Library of Congress has posted a collection of iconic and little-known images of the Great Depression in America. These couldn’t be more timely, as we look at our current economic landscape and wonder if we’re headed into another lengthy depression. It’s fascinating to study the disparate worn, hopeful and uncertain faces of what would become The Greatest Generation. And in this age of digital wizardry, these images also serve as a sobering reminder of the power of simple black and white film.

From the Library of Congress Flickr page: “‘Migrant Mother’ is part of a landmark photo documentary project based in the U.S. Resettlement Administration, the Farm Security Administration (FSA), and later the Office of War Information (OWI). The most active years were 1935-1943, and the collection was transferred to the Library of Congress in 1944.”

View them now on Flickr.