Marta Giaccone

Systems of Harmony

[ EPF 2017 – FINALIST ]

Systems of Harmony is a personal portrait of 2016 suburban America. In the 19th century a large number of Europeans and Americans went to great lengths to establish small utopian communities throughout America. They were preachers, social reformers, industrialists, philosophers, anarchists, journalists and socialist thinkers who attracted large crowds to their intentional colonies. Nevertheless they were exclusive establishments, some religious in character, that saw in the vastness of the American wilderness a favorable economic, political and social environment. They didn’t last long: some a few months, others a few years.

I traveled to many of these former utopias drawn by their often evocative and tenderly pretentious names such as Utopia, New Harmony or Modern Times, out of curiosity for what those places look like now and wondering where America is, 150 years later.

Once inhabited by Mormons, in 1849 Nauvoo was settled by followers of French utopian socialist ?tienne Cabet. His ideas attracted many people who saw him as a political messiah and sought to implement his ideas in a practical setting. In Nauvoo they created a theoretically egalitarian commune that was forced to disband in 1860 after it endured a loss of about 40% and ran into financial difficulties – © Marta Giaccone

Sarina, 14 years old.

Willie Franklin, owner of Utopia’s only gas pump and Village Market for the past 34 years. The town is desolate, only housing about 30 inhabitants. Utopia was founded in 1844 by the followers of French philosopher Charles Fourier. Fourierism, based on utopian socialism and the idea of equal sharing of investments in money and labour, reached peak popularity in the United States from about 1824 until 1846. The experimental community of Utopia dissolved in 1846 due to lack of financial success and disenchantment with Fourierism.

Alex, Mothers Day.

Along the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Across the river is Kentucky.

Economy was the third community founded by the followers of German pietist preacher George Rapp within the Harmony Society. The Harmonites believed Christ would return in their lifetime and so the purpose of the community was to be worthy of Him in preparation for this moment. The Harmonite communes ultimately failed because the policy of celibacy prevented new members from within. The Old Economy Village thrived from 1825 to 1906 and lay on the banks of the Ohio River. Here the Rappites enjoyed such prosperity that by 1829 they dominated the trade and the markets of Pittsburgh.

Sign outside Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford. Hartford formerly housed Coltsville, a utopic industrial community founded by Samuel Colt around his armory in 1856 for the wellbeing of his workers. It featured a row of Swiss chalets and a Russian-inspired onion-shaped blue dome on top of the factory, both still existing.

he Fultons of Marbury, Alabama, in their house in Montgomery.

There was German Pietist preacher George Rapp who created the Harmony Society (1805-1906) and, together with his Harmonites, aspired to be worthy of Christ and prepare for his return by purifying himself through celibacy, which turned out to be the main cause of their failure, as it prevented new members from within.

From 1880 to 1894 Pullman, a neighborhood in the south part of Chicago, was a utopic industrial community founded by George Pullman, who made expensive sleeping cars for trains. For the fist years it was a success, regularly winning awards for being one of the best places to live in the U.S. But Pullman ran it as a despot and when, in 1894, he lowered the wages, a large-scale protest broke out and had to be broken up by the military. The Government looked into the legality of the town and deemed it un-American.

Couple.

Love Insurance.

Symphony, 12 years old.

Ronald Yoder and his 14-year-old son Kendall of Kalona, Iowa, at the bus terminal.

A shed along the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River across from Keokuk, Iowa.

Frances, 87 years old, outside the Matthews Murkland Presbyterian Church. She’s lived her whole life around the block.

New Harmony was the second community founded by the followers of German pietist preacher George Rapp in 1814. In 1826 the town was purchased by Welsh social reformer and industrialist Robert Owen. He had an entrepreneurial spirit, management skill and progressive moral views. After a trial period of two years the project of a model working community failed due to lack of individual sovereignty and private property. New Harmony became known for advances in education and scientific research. Its residents established the first free library and a public school system open to men and women.

In Welsh industrialist Robert Owenss model working community (1826-1828), work and the enjoyment of its results should be experienced communally. In his idea of reorganization of society there was no private property, which, together with no individual sovereignty, again led to failure.

And then there was John Humphrey Noyes’ sect of Perfectionists (1848-1880), who created the practice of “stirpiculture” by which the male members should obey to continence and only the most spiritually advanced ones, first of all Noyes himself, were encouraged to procreate in order to produce superior offspring.

I used these and many more background stories as the basis to create my own trip around America.

Marcus Campus Cinema, founded in 1935 by Ben Marcus as the first of many Marcus theatres, in historic downtown Ripon. Ceresco, the Wisconsin Phalanx, was founded in 1844 by followers of Charles Fourier, led by American pioneer Warren Chase. Ceresco prospered, and the NYTribune gave weekly news of its doings, considering it worthy of emulation. Wisconsin became a state in 1848: everywhere people were making money through land speculation and the planting of new industries but, here, community life allowed no man to rise. The members found themselves hampered by their bond and left in 1850.

avid Kolsky on his 67th birthday at his favorite place, Minerva Pizzeria.

Matt, 27, with his 1 year-old daughter Elesa.

Ethan, 10, dyed his hair and wore purple for a month to raise awareness for his 2 year-old sister affected with Mucopolysaccharidoses.

Sign along the Ohio River Scenic Byway near Utopia, OH.

Girl at diner.

Short Bio

Marta Giaccone (1988, Milan, Italy) received an MA in Documentary Photography at the University of South Wales, UK, in 2014 and a BA in English and Hispanic American Literatures at the University of Milan, Italy, in 2011. Her work focuses on issues related to family and youth with a particular interest in the feminine perspective. She is also drawn to the juxtapositions of cultures and ideologies found within contemporary American society. Her practice evolves through long-term documentary projects shot on medium and large format film for a more intimate approach. She has worked for Richard Mosse as a production assistant for “Incoming”; for Magnum Photos NYC, Bruce Davidson, Alessandra Sanguinetti and Mary Ellen Mark as an intern; for Mark Power and Olivia Arthur as a translator. She has been among the finalists of many prizes and taken part in group shows in England, Wales, Italy and the US. Her first solo show “Ritorno all’Isola di Arturo” opens in Procida, Italy, in Sept 2017.

Related Links

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The Emerging Photographer Fund is supported by generous donors to the Magnum Foundation