Photos Recapture ‘Grapes of Wrath’
Horace Bristol’s photographs of poor itinerant farmers during the California Dust Bowl years are as poignant as “The Grapes of Wrath,” the John Steinbeck novel inspired by the same scenes Bristol recorded on film.
They can be seen with other Bristol photos at the Ojai Arts Center Gallery, where black and white works of the 82-year-old Ojai resident are on display through the end of this month.
Bristol’s photo essays include ones taken during World War II in Japan, Korea and North Africa.
But some of his most important work was shot here in California, capturing the plight of the people who lost everything during the Depression.
Bristol traveled through Northern California with author John Steinbeck and made a photo record of families fighting for survival during the dust bowl days.
The story is a fictionalized account of “the actual people that we came in contact with,” Bristol said. “Steinbeck grew fond of my prints and he wrote about the real people in them.”
“ ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ is something that every generation must be reminded of,” he said, “and I hope this helps.”
The gallery is located at 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai. For information, call 646-0117.
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