Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) - Turpentine chipper and slashed tree near Homerville, Georgia July 1937

"Turpentine chipper and slashed tree near Homerville, Georgia" (July 1937) is an iconic historical photograph taken by Dorothea Lange as part of her documentation of the American South for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression. Context & Subject MatterIn July 1937, Lange traveled through Clinch County in southern Georgia to document workers in the turpentine and "naval stores" industry. The Industry: Southern longleaf pine forests were tapped for crude pine gum (oleoresin). This resin was distilled into turpentine and rosin, historically vital for waterproofing wooden ships ("naval stores") and later used as industrial solvents, paint thinners, and soaps. The "Chipper": The photograph depicts a laborer—known as a chipper—who scored or "slashed" V-shaped grooves (called "faces") into the bark of pine trees. This caused the tree to "bleed" resin down into metal gutters and attached collection cups.Working Conditions: Tapping turpentine trees was grueling, dangerous, and poorly paid work carried out in harsh conditions (heat, insects, snake hazards, and heavy labor). A large portion of turpentine workers in the Deep South were Black laborers working under predatory debt-peonage or low-wage systems.Visual Composition & ThemesInteractions Between Labor and Nature: The visual highlights the raw relationship between the worker, the tool (a specialized curved blade called a hack or chipper), and the heavily scarred trunk of the longleaf pine tree.Environmental Impact: The phrase "slashed tree" in the title points directly to the destructive nature of traditional turpentine extraction. Repeatedly scoring the tree eventually weakened or killed it after a few years. Human Dignity: Like much of Lange’s work, the image balances social commentary with a stark, respectful portrayal of labor, focusing on the skill and sheer physical effort required by workers whose contributions were largely invisible to broader society.Archival LocationThe original black-and-white nitrate negative is preserved in the Library of Congress as part of the Farm Security Administration / Office of War Information Black-and-White Photographs Collection. LC-DIG-fsa-8b32245 (digital file from original neg.)