On a lazy Sunday afternoon in September 1942, photographer Marjory Collins wandered around New York City’s Central Park capturing a series of incredible images. The amazing and quasi-candid shots show families, friends, kids, lovers, and sailors enjoying a sunny day.
Other pictures show kids at the fountain, sweethearts waiting for the boats, people sitting on benches and enjoying the sun, sailors from the US Navy enjoying their shore leave, a cop playing with a child.
As we can see, American soldiers may have been fighting for their lives on the battlefields of Europe, but back home, life was chugging along with some semblance of normality.
Collins was part of the Office of War Information Agency, tasked by the US government to create and distribute information and propaganda about the war effort at home and abroad.
Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films, and other forms of media, the OWI was the connection between the battlefront and civilian communities.
In 1942, OWI welcomed the photographic unit of the Farm Security Administration, which had become famous for its documentation of the Great Depression under the direction of Roy Stryker.
During 1942 and 1943 the OWI boasted two photographic units whose photographers documented the country’s mobilization during the early years of the war, concentrating on such topics as aircraft factories and women in the workforce.
Central Park is the most visited park in the United States of America. Its visitors can recall the plentiful amount of trees, flowers, grass, paths, architecture, benches, rocks, and overall beauty. The park spans 843 acres, with 150 acres of lakes and streams.
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
Central Park in 1942
(Photo credit: Library of Congress).