Heroes of Hell Hole Swamp: Photographs of South Carolina Midwives by Hansel Mieth and W. Eugene Smith

Two mid-century Life photo essays reveal the power of editorial selection to lie—or reveal truth. This article appears in the Summer 2011 issue of Southern Cultures: The Photography Issue. “Mieth and Smith shared a belief that photography could bring social change. They viewed Pat Clark and Maude Callen as heroic healers whose stories would inspire racial understanding. Both photographers shot powerful images of the most visceral human experiences: birth, death, sexuality, and disease.” Note: Due to copyright restrictions, the original photos by Mieth and Smith are available in the print version only.