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Rob Amberg (American, 1947 - )
Jim Smyre and family planting tobacco, 1987; printed 1992 |
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Most tobacco growers do not plant the crop directly in the fields. Instead, the plants are grown in specially prepared seedbeds and transplanted to the fields after one to two months in a process called setting the tobacco. How large do you think this farm is? Are the workers using the most advanced technology on this farm?
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John James Audubon (American, 1785 - 1851)
Carolina Parakeet (Carolina Parrot), 1827-1838 |
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The only native United States parrot, the Carolina parakeet plagued early farmers with its fondness for fruit and grain seeds. As a result, the birds were aggressively targeted by hunters and have been extinct since the 1920s. Read Audubon's original text about the Carolina Parakeet. What types of fruit and grain seeds would the Carolina parakeets have eaten in North Carolina?
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Patrick Dougherty (American, 1945 - )
Trail Heads, 2005 |
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In Trail Heads, North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty uses maple and sweet gum saplings gathered near his Piedmont home to create monumental busts in the Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art. What are some more industrial uses of wood that are important to North Carolina's economy?
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John James Audubon
Carolina Parakeet (Carolina Parrot)
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Vollis Simpson
Wind Machine
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Patrick Dougherty
Trail Heads
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Elizabeth Matheson
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, 1982
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William Hoare
William Pitt, later 1st Earl of Chatham
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Maud Gatewood
Jungle Camp
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Focus Works of Art
A field of cut burley tobacco
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Rob Amberg
(American)
A field of cut burley tobacco,
1993; printed 2002 |
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Natural Resources
A field of harvested tobacco marches in rows across the image and into the distance in Rob Amberg's photograph of a crop awaiting gathering for the curing process. Light filters through on the left side of the image and accentuates the top of the plants on the far side of the field. A layer of fog surrounds the farmhouse and the rising mountains in the scene's background. The burley tobacco plants are cut and tied or speared onto sticks, called tobacco sticks, that are about three feet long and can hold up to six tobacco plants each. An everyday scene to the Mountain tobacco farmer holds an aura of mystery for the outside viewer, expressed through the rhythmic patterns of the cut plants that are softly bathed in light.
How does photographer Rob Amberg choose his subjects?
Whether working on a series over a period of decades or doing freelance projects for nonprofit organizations and publications, Rob Amberg is concerned primarily with southern cultural traditions and communities. A field of cut burley tobacco is from the Sodom Laurel Album, a series that focuses on Amberg's relationship with Sodom Laurel residents Dellie Norton and her son Junior over two decades. Published as a book, Amberg's work incorporates stories from Sodom Laurel residents, his journal entries and recordings of traditional Appalachian music. More works from this series can be viewed at www.robamberg.com.
Why is tobacco an important natural resource in North Carolina?
Entwined in the history of North Carolina, tobacco has been important since the first colonists at Roanoke took the plant to England in 1586. North Carolina remains the number one producer of raw tobacco in the United States. In 2002, $657 million was generated in cash receipts for tobacco in North Carolina. Most tobacco grown in North Carolina, especially in the Coastal Plain, is Virginia tobacco. The burley tobacco shown in this image is grown more in western areas, including the Mountains, and Kentucky and Tennessee.
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Below are suggestions for using the Focus Work of Art with students in the classroom. The activity and discussion ideas are listed in order of difficulty. The activity instructions and italicized discussion questions may be presented directly to students. The icons below each suggestion note the related subject area(s). Click on each icon to determine which subject area it represents. Browse the thematic Lesson Plans for more ideas on how to use this work of art and theme in the classroom. |
- Natural Resources
What is a natural resource, and how are such resources important? Give examples of natural resources found in North Carolina, and identify regions in which they are found. Is there an endless supply of these resources, or are they limited? How are these resources used?
 
- Endangered Animals
The Carolina parakeet disappeared from the skies in the 1920s. View this list of wildlife species protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and identify the animals that are endangered. Pick an animal to research, locate its habitat on a map and suggest ways that this animal could be saved from extinction.
- Graphing Farming Statistics
View statistics about North Carolina farmers' plans to plant crops here. Create a bar graph that compares the number of acres of crops planted in the current year and in past years. Which crop plantings have increased and which have decreased? Why do you think this is so?
- Documenting Your Community
Using a camera, explore your local community and document it through photography as Rob Amberg has done in his work. Keep a journal about your experiences working on the project, and interview any subjects whom you photograph. Share your project with the class in book form or as a PowerPoint presentation.
 
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