Publisher's Synopsis
So much is uncertain and changing in America. One thing that is clear, however, is the pattern of industrialization that exploits a region and a people and then moves on when the economics change. The Rust Belt of America provided the manpower and factories that formed the backbone of American manufacturing, which became a juggernaut of the twentieth century. When conditions changed, companies quietly left. Ken Light turned his lens on this region because, despite decades of coverage of Rust Belt communities, its demise and struggles, there is a need to continue to document there. The images in this book show the vestiges of the industrial past: abandoned factories, decaying infrastructure and disused machinery. The cities he visited struggle with high unemployment and massive population decline and are testament to vanishing economic opportunities. Citizens feel abandoned and angered by the political system and left behind by a business class that offshored the production of goods and forsook them without a second thought. Report to the Shareholders weaves the proud heritage of blue-collar communities into this saga alongside striking historical ephemera that brings the present of the black-and-white images into high relief. The result is a poignant and powerful visual journey through the Rust Belt, asking the question: how did we let this happen?
