Robert Slocombe, Monsanto Chemical Company, from the series The Reign of Chemistry

One Book One Northwestern, 2021–22

This photograph was first published as part of a story titled "The Reign of Chemistry," that ran in Life magazine. W. Eugene Smith’s 1953 photographic essay celebrated the Monsanto company for its profound influences on daily life and its growth and success in the postwar period through rapid development of new products—detergents, drugs, synthetic textiles, plastics, and especially agricultural products.

The chemist in the photograph is working with a three-dimensional model that illustrates the molecular composition of plastics. While the essay highlighted the company’s success, Monsanto later became infamous for its profits at the expense of human health, biodiversity, and its effect on ecosystems. Its products, including the toxic pesticide Roundup and genetically modified seeds for soybeans, corn, and cotton plants, have led to increased productivity, while promoting monocrop culture, disease resistance, and health risks. While Smith’s photograph admires the forward-thinking, analytical triumphs of science and its contributions to modern living in the home and on the farm, it disregards the long-term consequences. Looking back at the photograph from the 21st century, we think about how new products, especially plastics, have been detrimental to human health and the earth’s well-being in the unchecked quest for convenience.