Mary Jane Appel

Instagram: @maryjaneappel

Hello, I'm the author of Russell Lee: A Photographer's Life and Legacy. I studied the history of photography at the University of New Mexico and one of my first jobs out of graduate school was for the Library of Congress, where I worked on a special project to digitize the now legendary Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information (FSA-OWI) collection of photographs.

Of the more than 20 FSA-OWI photographers, Russell Lee stood out. I wanted to know more and searched for books about him, but couldn't find much. So, I started researching him--and his photographs--and became so captivated I decided to write a book. I'm so pleased to be able to share Russell Lee's fascinating story -- and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.