"The Streets of My Youth: Photography and Memory in Brockton, Massachusetts 1974-1980"

by Karl Vincent Roth

Primary Advisor: Judith Smith

Secondary Advisor: Lois Rudnick

Abstract:

"The Streets of My Youth: Photography and Memory in Brockton, Massachusetts 1974-1980" is an examination of Gerald Parker's attempt to capture the essence of his boyhood home through a black and white photo essay. The project places the photographs' location in relation to the history of the art of photography, the effects of industrial flight, the historical context of the city of Brockton, Massachusetts, and Parker's childhood experiences in the city. Also explored are Parker's hybrid style of photography, his motivations for the project and several of the more than 300 images from the Brockton Project. Several of the sources utilized were the photographs taken in Brockton, MA, interviews with the photographer, the photographer's personal journal, and other secondary sources consisting of books, newspaper articles, and documents from various city agencies. The major conclusions in the paper were that Parker was able to poignantly document the remaining images from his childhood, but that the project suffered as a result of the city's ambiguity over its industrial past and refusal to allow Parker access to Brockton as a subject.