Capturing the South

“At its core, Matthews' Capturing the South speaks to the asymmetries of documentary power around histories of well-meaning (often self-serving) intentions, cultural exploitation, and subject resistance. . . . Meticulously researched and thoughtfully considered. . . . The energy of Matthews' argument establishes the ethical ambitions of his study in ways that persuasively invite the reader into a consideration about the historical arc and the ï¬\x81eldwork ethics that arguably render the South the most documented American region.”—Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“Capturing the South brilliantly frames how white scholars, writers, photographers, and filmmakers have defined the region. Scott L. Matthews reveals how those who documented the American South transformed its people into works of art, forever changing how we view the region and her people.”—William Ferris, author of The South in Color: A Visual Journal

“An original and comprehensive look at the American South in the twentieth century, Capturing the South explores, to great effect, the vexed relationship between documentarians and those whose lives they documented. A compelling and well-wrought history.” —Daphne Lamothe, Smith College