Mike Disfarmer (1884-1959)

Mike Disfarmer (1884–1959), born Mike Meyer, was an American portrait photographer whose posthumously discovered work has made him a celebrated figure in the history of photography. Working as a commercial studio photographer in the small town of Heber Springs, Arkansas, from the 1920s to the 1950s, Disfarmer’s portraits are known for their stark, unsmiling realism. He photographed everyday people—farmers, soldiers, and families—against a simple backdrop, capturing the quiet dignity and resilience of rural America during the Great Depression and World War II. After his death, a cache of his glass-plate negatives was salvaged, leading to the rediscovery and eventual recognition of his photographs as significant works of art. His singular, empathetic vision has earned him comparisons to photographers like August Sander and Walker Evans.