Rosskam, Edwin. Washington: Nerve Center by Edwin Rosskam.

The Face of America series. Alliance, 1939. Introduction by Eleanor Roosevelt. Co-edited by Ruby Black. [Edwin Rosskam's second documentary photography book, produced in collaboration with his wife Louise Rosskam. For this book, the Rosskams took their own photographs, supplemented by some from the Farm Security Administration files and other government agencies.  Edwin Rosskam's visit to FSA Historical Section director Roy Stryker led to Edwin being hired, primarily as an editor although both he and Louise contributed photographs to the FSA file.]

Edwin Rosskam (1903–1985) was an American photographer, writer, and photo editor known for his documentary work capturing mid-century American life and community landscapes. Born in Munich, Germany, to American parents, Rosskam originally trained as a painter before transitioning to photography and journalism. During the late 1930s and 1940s, he worked as a photo editor and photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), where he selected visual material for public distribution, curated exhibitions, and produced documentary photo projects across the United States. Throughout his career—often collaborating closely with his wife, photographer Louise Rosskam—he documented riverboat communities along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers for their co-authored photobook Towboat River (1948), covered stories for major publications like Life and Look, and photographed regional programs in Puerto Rico. In addition to his visual work, Rosskam authored documentary texts and novels, including The Alien, leaving behind a legacy centered on visual storytelling, documentary photography, and photojournalism.

Copies available:

• Hardcover, VG+, previous owner's bookplate inside cover, with good+ dust jacket (hard to find with any kind of dust jacket). 
• Hardcover, VG+, slight fading to orange cloth binding, no dust jacket.