
Between gigs spent photographing rock stars like Rihanna and Dave Grohl, one Los Angeles based artist sought to capture a staple of rural American life - the county fair.

Photographer Pamela Littky spent the Summer of 2015 visiting the 'American Fair' in cities across the US.

During her travels, she chronicled the ways in which the iconic center of community has changed so much, and yet stayed very much the same over the last 170 years.

DailyMail.com has obtained an excerpt of Littky's collection, which is available for pre-order now and will be released to the public in hardcover by Kehrer Verlag on April 3.

Los Angeles- based photographer Pamela Littky spent the Summer of 2015 visiting the 'American Fair' in cities across the US, documenting things like these young men showing off tattoos that read, 'Corn fed,' in Indianapolis, Indiana

During her travels, she chronicled the ways in which the iconic center of community has changed so much, and yet stayed very much the same over the last 170 years; Ladies are seen here participating in a beauty pageant in Sedalia, Missouri

Photographer Pamela Littky spent the Summer of 2015 visiting the 'American Fair' in cities across the US, documenting it all

Youth with painted faces take a seat on a bench with another fair-goer, caught mid-speech in Indianapolis, Indiana

Littky describes this personal project as a 'collection of photographs where wistful reflections on the past meet the challenging realities of American life in the 21st century.'

She explains: 'Idyllic portraits of farmers and rope-and-ride spectators are shown alongside tableaux that evoke undertones of apprehension and uncertainty.

'Elderly faces that have seen many seasons of the fair are interspersed with images of youth who project determination or innocence underneath adolescent postures.'

A fair worker sits, shirtless, and smokes a cigarette on bunked beds in Ventura, California; A Sam's Cola is seen in frame at left

An aerial view shows palm trees, bright lights and the coastline at what looks like early evening at a fair in Del Mar, California

Young ladies wearing sashes and sequins prepare to ride horses in this fair scene, captured by Littky in the Summer of 2015

Women dressed in denim and wearing tennis shoes wait for their food at the Jumbo Turkey Legs stand in Jackson, Mississippi

Littky notes that the fair has historically been the bedrock of American communities across the country.

These festivals are generally held in the late Summer or early Fall, on the outskirts of a town.

The fair served throughout the 19th century as a meeting place for farmers to promote local agriculture.

In the 20th century, as America shifted from an agrarian to an urban society, the fair expanded dramatically to include a wealth of family focused fun and entertainment, where communities could come together to partake in a rich marketplace of ideas.

The experience opened up to include things ranging from carnival amusement rides, games, and side shows to car racing, concession stands, and musical concerts.

As Littky traveled across the US to capture what this looks like in America's heartland, today, she discovered that the essence of the American fair has not changed very much over the past century.

As Littky traveled across the US to capture what this looks like in America's heartland, today, she discovered that the essence of the American fair has not changed very much over the past century; A woman sits inside a ticket booth in Selma, Alabama

A man is shown here with an inflatable toy that is formed in the shape of a rifle slung over his shoulder, watching people

Members of the 4H Club stand together by stables in Coldwater, Kansas as adults look on from the rear of the group

While the social and cultural fabric of the United States has evolved considerably, the fairs continue to draw millions of people yearly from different backgrounds and upbringings.

What they have in common is that they all seek a place near their homes where community is celebrated in all of its diversity, along with elements of a culture that recalls some of the most nostalgic ideals of America.

From beauty and talent pageants, to young and old alike seen sitting on bleachers and standing at ticket booths, 4H Club exhibitions and hungry mouths lined up alongside food stands, Littky has shared these timeless images with us of so much that remains the same, no matter where you call home.

Young people take a break from the crowd, resting in the grass and dirt in the fair grounds parking lot in Gordon, Nebraska

Early reviews of Littky's 'American Fair' collection have lauded the project.

'The series is a fascinating look at the warmth and strangeness of this remarkable American institution that's been going strong for decades,' a critic at Co Design said.

Vanity Fair Italia wrote: 'The intent reminds the great precedents of American unofficial photography, a realist with Robert Frank and everyday life with Vivian Maier, two of the greatest photographers of the American common people.'

The bound version of the photo series can be purchased through Amazon, available beginning April 3.

A pair of adults with three small children approach the ticket booth next, found beside a popcorn stand in Dodge City, Kansas

A ride shaped like a ship is seen behind a line of portable toilets along the peripheral of the fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois