May 1942. "Lancaster County, Nebraska. Mrs. Pierce, wife of FSA borrower, giving her daughter a glass of milk." Photo by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "Grand Island, Nebraska." Home of the "homey" Palace Cafe. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "Denver, Colorado." Whose California Building poses that incendiary interrogative, SMOKE? Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "North Platte, Nebraska. Gas station." Flavors on tap from this ten-pump petro-pub include Distillate, Mobilgas, Diesel Fuel, Kerosene, Hi-Lite, Ethyl and Metro. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. Kremmling, Colorado. "Soldiers from Fort Logan hitchhiking along U.S. Highway 40." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1942. "Missoula, Montana. Garage." More curbside gas pumps! Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1942. "Bannack, Montana. Old hotel." The supposedly haunted Hotel Meade. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "Lancaster County, Nebraska. Mrs. Lynn May, FSA borrower, cleaning a chicken." Our second look at this lady and that kid. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "Central City, an old mining town in the mountainous region of Central Colorado." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

May 1942. "Central City, an old mining town in the mountainous region of Central Colorado." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

        Happy Valentine's Day from Shorpy, who made his very first post 15 years ago today, back in 2007.

John Vachon shot eight exposures of this fellow in Grand Island, Nebraska, in May 1942, and none of them has a caption, so you'll just have to use your imagination. View full size.

May 1942. "Central City, an old mining town. Mountainous region of Central Colorado, west of Denver." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1942. "Missoula, Montana. Entering the town. Tourist apartments." More specifically, the "Strictly Modern" Beauty Ress Court. And gas station. With your choice of Coke, Pepsi or Calso. Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1942. "Missoula, Montana. Tourist apartments." The "Strictly Modern" Beauty Ress Court. Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1942. "Grocery store in copper mining center of Butte, Montana." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.