" I look at my photographs as portraits of our ancestors. As such they serve as reminders that we have all walked in someone else's footsteps; that it is impossible to cut oneself off from the past. "
~ David Plowden
For more than five decades, photographer David Plowden devoted his life to documenting a disappearing America through his powerful photographs, exhibitions, and publications. Reflecting on his work, he once said that he felt an overwhelming urgency to preserve the people, places, and industries fading from the American landscape before they vanished forever, fearing that in losing these important traces of our past, we risk losing part of our collective identity.
David Plowden passed away on May 4, 2026. His profound impact on American photography will continue to inspire and influence generations to come.