A field of cut burley tobacco

Rob Amberg is best known for his documentary photographs. Many of his images show life on small family farms in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. His photographs also show how changes in farming, technology, and local communities have affected the people who live and work there.

A field of cut burley tobacco shows a farm in Madison County, North Carolina, where Amberg lives. Rows of harvested burley tobacco cover the field. The surrounding hills can be seen in the distance.

Burley tobacco is grown in the mountains of North Carolina. It is also common in Kentucky and Tennessee. After farmers harvest the plants, they tie the stalks to wooden sticks. The sticks are placed in the field for several days so the plants can dry. The tobacco is then moved to a barn, where the leaves hang and dry for several more weeks. Farmers return to the barn in the winter to remove the dried leaves. Then they take the tobacco to a warehouse, where it is sold at auction. 

This photograph is one of six works by Amberg in the NCMA collection from his project Sodom Laurel Album. The project offers a close look at life in a small mountain community. Together these photographs record an important part of North Carolina’s history.