http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/contact_sheet/26840 The history of Fordlândia is one of dreams, sweat, vanity and abandonement. In 1929 Henry Ford bought 15,000 sq.km of jungle on the banks of Rio Tapajós, 100kms south of Santarém, Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon, in order to produce cheaply the rubber he needed for his cars. He envisioned, planned and constructed an American Utopia, a complete prefabricated town with water tower, houses with white picket fences, hospital, library, church and of course factories. And with them came industrial production lines, strict working hours, metal numbered badges, obligatory immunizations, hamburgers, puritanism and prohibition. It even aligned with the time-zone of Detroit. The plantations themselves proved to be a catastrophe mostly because of ignorance, arrogance and poor planning. There were no scientists advised. And it wasn't long till the Brazilian workers revolted against the alien regime, destroyied most of the town and the army had to step in. It was finally 1933 when Fordlândia and its land was abandoned without ever producing a single ton of rubber. It was exchanged for new land downriver and the experiment was attempted once more under the name of Belttera, before having a similar fate in 1945. The total cost reached $200 million in modern value. Henry Ford never set foot in Brazil. During the past 70 years Fordlândia has sustained a small population while being mostly forgotten. Despite its myth it is no ghost town but no Disneyland either. It's isolated but not unreachable, trapped in a time warp but alive, it's surprising and contradictory. It becomes what you want it to be but has its own truth. I see it as the inevitable conclusion of an arrogant capitalist Utopia that reached hubris. And it remains as relevant as ever. http://www.lightstalkers.org en-us http://images.lightstalkers.org/avatars/31050/DSC_1307_small.JPG http://www.lightstalkers.org/John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106835/Fordlândia_1_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106835'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106835 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:25 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106835 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106835/Fordlândia_1_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106835'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106838/Fordlândia_2_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106838'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106838 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106838 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106838/Fordlândia_2_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106838'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106841/Fordlândia_3_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106841'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106841 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106841 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106841/Fordlândia_3_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106841'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106844/Fordlândia_4_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106844'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106844 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106844 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106844/Fordlândia_4_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106844'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106847/Fordlândia_5_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106847'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106847 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106847 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106847/Fordlândia_5_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106847'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106850/Fordlândia_6_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106850'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106850 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106850 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106850/Fordlândia_6_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106850'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106856/Fordlândia_7_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106856'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106856 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106856 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106856/Fordlândia_7_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106856'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106862/Fordlândia_8_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106862'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106862 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:28 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106862 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106862/Fordlândia_8_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106862'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106859/Fordlândia_9_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106859'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106859 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:27:28 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106859 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106859/Fordlândia_9_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106859'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106904/Fordlândia_10_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106904'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106904 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:43 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106904 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106904/Fordlândia_10_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106904'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106868/Fordlândia_11_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106868'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106868 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106868 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106868/Fordlândia_11_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106868'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106874/Fordlândia_12_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106874'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106874 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106874 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106874/Fordlândia_12_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106874'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106877/Fordlândia_13_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106877'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106877 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106877 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106877/Fordlândia_13_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106877'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106880/Fordlândia_14_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106880'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106880 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106880 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106880/Fordlândia_14_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106880'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106883/Fordlândia_15_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106883'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106883 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106883 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106883/Fordlândia_15_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106883'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106892/Fordlândia_16_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106892'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106892 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106892 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106892/Fordlândia_16_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106892'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106886/Fordlândia_17_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106886'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106886 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106886 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106886/Fordlândia_17_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106886'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106898/Fordlândia_18_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106898'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106898 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:43:45 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106898 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1106898/Fordlândia_18_small.JPG' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1106898'>view full-size image</a> John Pitsakis