Denim: The Fabric That Built America
The new coffee-table book Denim: The Fabric That Built America 1935 –1944 has just been released. The 240-pages book is made by Graham Marsh and Tony Nourmand. It’s published by Reel Art Press (RAP), a publishing house founded by Nourmand in 2010. With a sturdy hardcover format, the book beautifully captures how denim served as an essential workwear staple for the laborers. People who helped build America. Through captivating imagery and historical context, it takes readers back in time. Illustrating why denim has remained an enduring and iconic fabric for garments. This book is a tribute to denim’s lasting appeal and why it has never gone out of style.
The Creators Of The Book
Denim: The Fabric That Built America 1935 – 1944 is written and art-directed by vintage denim and clothing expert Graham Marsh. Marsh is known for his must-have book Denim, From Cowboys To Catwalk. The images in the book are edited by Tony Nourmand.
For the book, 250 images are selected and discovered in the hidden depths of the archive of the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information. Originally, these images were made as a project to document America in 1935. In the end, this project took nine years, so from 1935 to 1944. The result is an archive that holds over 170,000 images. And some of the most recognizable photographs of the twentieth century.
The Content Of The Book
While most photographs are black and white, a few are in color as well. They show perfectly how to push America out of the Great Depression into the prosperity of its post-war years. These images illustrate denim’s original purpose. Showcasing the everyday heroes it was designed for farmers, miners, ranchers, sheepherders, cowboys, railroad workers, and others.
The Denim: The Fabric That Built America 1935 – 1944 book highlights the versatility of denim workwear. Designs like jeans, jackets, shirts, bib-overalls, and coveralls are included, each tailored to the demands of hardworking lives across America.
Each photograph shares the context with a description of the person, period, and what they’re wearing. Many original workwear denim brands feature in the book. Expect brands such as Levi’s, Lee, OshKosh, Carhartt, Pay Day, Sears Roebuck & Co, Big Mac, Big Smith, Big Yank, and Stronghold, to name a few. The book is a visual homage to the rich and long history of denim and these American workers.
A Must-Have Denim Book
Denim: The Fabric That Built America 1935 – 1944 is an essential resource for history lovers and denim aficionados. A must-have for designers, it offers deep insight into denim’s origins and its remarkable impact on culture worldwide.
