Hot Info: The Oxford Project

It was at about that time when Peter asked writer Stephen G. Bloom to join him.

In the spring and summer of 1984, Peter Feldstein used a red marker to make a sign announcing that he wanted to take free portraits of everyone in Oxford, Iowa pop.

Some of the original residents had died and some had moved away, but a surprising number still lived in Oxford.

On Memorial Day, Peter photographed Al Sheets, a member of the American Legion, and when Al went to the Legion hall, he brought back 75 Legionnaires.

Nobody did anything out of the ordinary, like jumping or doing handstands — except Clarence Schropp, who wore his wife’s wig, and Calvin Colony, who brought his 300-pound pet lion.

Like a kid at a lemonade stand, Peter set up shop on Augusta Street, Oxford’s main street.

They had become confessors to an undiscovered America.

The language of more than several was pure poetry.

Some of their words came out slowly, others came out in jags and torrents.

A few waxed about first girlfriends and boyfriends.

More than a few talked about spouses’ infidelities.

Others spoke about relationships gone bad.

Some chose to talk about religion.

Stephen’s instructions to Oxford residents were simple: Tell the truth.

Twenty-one years later, Peter set up his camera again.