States of the Union: 2008 – 2016
50 states in 50 images of America throughout the Obama administration
Magnum Photographers
50
Carolyn Drake Birmingham, Alabama. 2014. The view through the bus window on the first leg of Elnora Shearer's bus ride to work. 70 year old Elnora works as a domestic help in the affluent Mountain Brook neighbor (...)
hood of Birmingham.
The Cherokee Bend 50 is a public bus service in Birmingham, Alabama which is colloquially known as the 'Maids' Bus' by the local Transport Authority. It collects a group of older African-American women and drops them off, one by one, along the side of the road in the affluent suburb of Mountain Brook. From the road, the women make their way along the long driveways to the homes of their employers where they work as domestic help. Many of these women came of age in the 1960s, during the Civil Rights movement, and have been riding this same bus to work at the homes of wealthy families in Mountain Brook. © Carolyn Drake | Magnum Photos
License |
50
Peter van Agtmael Aurora, Illinois. 2015. The Al Hajali family at a new suburban development down the road from their home. From L to R: Ahmad, Mahmud, Azizeh, Mohamed, Sham. The Al Hajali's are part of the small w (...)
ave of 2,200 Syrian Refugees of the civil war who have been granted asylum in the United States. Their son, Wasseem, was initially granted asylum but his application has been put on indefinite hold. Father Mahmud, daughter Sham and twin 17-year old sons Ahmad and Mohamed work long hours at minimum wage to make ends meet. © Peter van Agtmael | Magnum Photos
License |
50
Larry Towell Crow Indian Reservation, Montana. August, 2012. Local dancers. The Crow Indian Reservation (Tipi Capital of the World) boasts 1500 tipis during its annual powwow where residents erect and move into (...)
canvas tipis for the week participating in rodeo and powwow events. © Larry Towell | Magnum Photos
License |
50
Peter van Agtmael Idabel, Oklahoma. 2014. Thomas Blakely, half Choctaw and half African American. He lives with his mom and stepfather in the poor, rural town of Idabel. He is prone to temper issues, getting into (...)
fights in high school and frequent emotional outbursts. At home he's very polite and friendly and has a close relationship with his mom, Wilanda. © Peter van Agtmael | Magnum Photos
License |
50
Peter van Agtmael Manderson, South Dakota. 2014. Officer Becki Sotherland helps up an old woman passed out in front of a store. She was taken to the 'Drunk Tank' for eight hours and released. Pine Ridge Reservation (...)
has a massive problem with alcoholism. Although alcohol sales are banned on the reservation, the nearby border town of Whiteclay, Nebraska has four liquor stores, which sold over 4.9 million cans of beer in 2010 to mostly Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge. Alcoholism is estimated to affect 85 per cent of the families. (source: Wikipedia). © Peter van Agtmael | Magnum Photos
License |
50
Peter van Agtmael Wakefield, Virginia. 2009. Political signs line the road to the annual Shad Planking, a political event in Southern Virginia that kicks off the Gubernatorial race. Rival candidates vie to place the (...)
most signs along the route. Democratic candidate Terry McAullife won, but later lost in the primaries. © Peter van Agtmael | Magnum Photos
License |
50
View all
Covering the period of President Obama’s administration (2008-2016), we present a portrait of life in the United States, as captured by Magnum photographers. This slideshow paints an authored portrait of everyday life, from prosaic acts like travelling to work, to ceremonial gestures of patriotism. From the urban hustle to the expansive rural plains, Magnum Photographs capture vignettes of the previous eight years across all of America’s 50 states.

















License full story in Magnum PRO
i
Commission a Magnum photographer
Fine Collectors’ Prints
Alec Soth
, Alessandra Sanguinetti
, Alex Webb
, America
, Bruce Gilden
, Bruno Barbey
, Carolyn Drake
, Chien-Chi Chang
, Christopher Anderson
, Constantine Manos
, Jim Goldberg
, Larry Towell
, Martin Parr
, Matt Black
, Max Pinckers
, Obama
, Peter van Agtmael
, Politics
, Raymond Depardon
, Susan Meiselas
, United States