▁to ▁become ▁C iss y ▁P atter son ' s ▁sle ek , ▁eye - catch ing ▁Times - Her ald ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁Martin ▁and ▁P atter son ▁visited ▁a ▁rural ▁section ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁and ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁six ▁articles ▁called ▁" D ix ie ' s ▁Dead ▁End ." ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁articles ▁described ▁the ▁hard ships ▁faced ▁by ▁two ▁elder ly ▁farm ▁women ▁at ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁de pression . ▁The ▁image ▁at ▁left ▁comes ▁from ▁this ▁shoot . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁Martin ▁left ▁the ▁Times - Her ald ▁to ▁begin ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁fre el ance ▁photograph er , ▁public ist , ▁war ▁correspond ent , ▁lect urer , ▁and ▁magazine ▁editor . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁she ▁seems ▁never ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁at ▁rest . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁that ▁period ▁she ▁spent ▁two ▁seasons ▁crossing ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁a ▁paid ▁lect urer ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁man aging ▁an ▁advert ising ▁campaign ▁for ▁the ▁Ch rys ler ▁Corporation . ▁She ▁next ▁tra ve led ▁by ▁air ▁across ▁Brazil ▁to ▁shoot ▁aer ial ▁and ▁ground ▁photos ▁for ▁two ▁books ▁profil ing ▁that ▁country . ▁In ▁the ▁winter ▁months ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁she ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁photo ▁department ▁for ▁the ▁Washington ▁b ureau ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁and ▁began ▁work ▁as ▁associate ▁editor ▁of ▁the