Janie Osborne
Getty Images
”LOVE," from "Butte, America” project
Originally photographed for Getty Images, "LOVE" is part of "Butte, America," my ongoing project (2017-present) about the enduring spirit of the struggling mining town of Butte, Montana (locally known as "Butte, America”).
In the late 1800s, thousands immigrated here during a mining boom. Today, Butte lives in tension with the legacy of that era and the challenges of being home to a toxic Superfund site. Yet, it remains a culturally rich and resilient community, defined in part by the descendants of the immigrants who built it. Recently, with filming of productions like Paramount's "1923," Hollywood has discovered Butte - which helps, many think, with revitalization.
I am inspired by the family in "LOVE" and the people of Butte; they exist somewhere between the shadow of a toxic site and the glow of Hollywood sets; and they are determined to define their own legacies — and futures.
Butte's story is important because it is a stark illustration of the American drive to overcome circumstances and redefine communities and individual lives.
