The “Homes of steel” of photographer Annick Sjobakken

When Annick Sjobakken moved to Des Moines, she tried above all to feel at home. Her new environment soon became familiar, and certain elements drew the attention of the photographer—in particular, the “homes of steel” scattered across the neighbourhood, their lines straight and slightly austere, boosted by their pastel facades, aged by time. These dwellings, called “Lustron homes”, were built at the end of World War II. Annick decided to penetrate the secrets of these curious constructions: she wrote to all of their inhabitants. One by one, these strangers invited her into their homes. She shows us their portraits in “Homes of Steel”, a series that tells the story of an American neighbourhood.