meaning of spurn
Does "was spurned" here mean that "this type of photography got forbidden during that period" or "this type of photography lost its popularity during that period"?

Context:

The documentation of American life through photography was spurned during the 1930s and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. The invention of the automobile escalated leisurely excursions into the country and across America and the UK that were documented by photographs and silent home movies.

Question

meaning of spurn
Does "was spurned" here mean that "this type of photography got forbidden during that period" or  "this type of photography lost its popularity during that period"?

Context:

The documentation of American life through photography was spurned during the 1930s and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. The invention of the automobile escalated leisurely excursions into the country and across America and the UK that were documented by photographs and silent home movies.

Answer

It's a typo.  It should be "spurred on".  A few sentences prior to the ones you quote, we see that the 'happy peasant' genre is "spurred by the development of photography for the masses."  The WPA is famous for employing famous photographers to travel the country documenting daily life.  Photography was definitely not "spurned" during this period.