In Search of the Corn Queen: American Scene series, No.1

Greta Pratt returns to the county fairs of her childhood in the American Midwest, creating photographs that capture the spirit of rural life in the region. Karal Ann Marling’s introduction provides fascinating insights into Pratt’s images of county-fair rituals and the regional culture that inspires these gatherings.

Reviews in Brief

“Pratt’s 62 photographs of midwesterners at summer fairs and festivals are wonderfully sympathetic yet sardonic as well. The young photojournalist takes an affectionate, ironic attitude toward all her subjects—kids, animals, women, men. Her pictures amuse without indulging any condescending mockery. This is solid work, highly recommended.” — Booklist, April 1995

“[In Search of the Corn Queen and Men in America are] valuable documents of today’s middle America, by turns pleasant and disturbing, honest, and mythical. Pratt focuses on the county fairs of the Midwest, the traditions they maintain, and, most importantly, the people who attend them. … In these two multiple-image portraits, public libraries will find a moving record of fading people and their traditions.” — Eric Bryant, Library Journal, February 1, 1995