[Jack Corn's Nikon Camera]

Jack Corn described his work as dependent on lighting conditions: “No matter how much talent a professional photographer has, one keeper, i.e. a good photograph, per one roll of film is a good harvest.” He made these images from 1956 to 1979 in Appalachian towns while staff photographer for The Nashville Tennessean newspaper and for the Documerica project, photographing environmental damage in coal fields. Corn was photojournalist in residence at Western Kentucky University from 1977 to 1984.