When photographer Jim Goldberg took photos of the rich and poor people living in San Francisco, U.S.A, he asked them to share their personal stories too—by making them write about themselves on their portraits.
The photos for his project, taken between 1977 to 1985, show stark differences between the rich and the poor, but the emotions conveyed through their handwritten stories share a common ground.
Most expressed their fears, desires, struggles, joy, and pain—emotions that even we find to be familiar and relatable at this day and age.
Surprisingly, when Goldberg debuted his work in 1985, it was not well-received as reviewers felt that the addition of text prevented viewers from making their own understanding of the subjects featured in the photos.
Take a look at Goldberg’s work below, or head to his page to view the rest.
[via Beautiful/Decay, images by Jim Goldberg]