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Starting from the late 19th century, the Appalachian region became devastated by an extractive industry which appropriated valuable resources from the land providing little, not to say nothing, in return for locals. In 1964, the US government chose this region to make it the emblematic figure of its War on Poverty program. Photographers went to the Appalachian Mountains to create images supposed to help Americans unite in order to improve the life conditions of this underclass people. The result turned to be quite different: it offered a simplistic and superficial image of poverty, which is still haunting the Appalachians. While starting to work in the place, I realized that I was becoming part of a tradition of photographers whose way to use the medium facilitated the continuity of the problem. Representing a place is a complicated negotiation. In an area where the medium failed to help people, how can the photographer demystify stereotypes, represent culture, summarize experience, interpret memory and history?  – Stacy Kranitz