Baltimore has changed dramatically since it was photographed during the initial FSA project. At that time, between 1935-1944, the city was photographed as a vibrant community full of shops, mass transit, and a productive maritime industry. Baltimore faced rapid change from the "white flight" of the 1957, and like many urban centers, was beset by a substantial increase in crime. Though out-migration has abated, the city has lingering and pervasive separation between the rich and the poor, which is manifest in vast swaths of abandonment mere blocks away from stable institutions. The sections Street Life and Row Houses show a city suffering from neglect and decay. The section Hollowed takes a look at the wasteful problem expensive new developments that have lain empty or incomplete due to high prices or builder bankruptcy.
Many of the FSA photographers who crossed Pennsylvania, photographed the abundant steel and coal industries that were the backbone of several towns and cities. Time has brought change, and many of these industries have gone and left a diminished capacity, leaving behind scarred land and townscapes. These photos explore how life has been affected in these regions.