TABLE OF CONTENTS
American Hands in Action Photograph Album:
The Works Progress Administration, later known as the Works Project Administration, was established as a federal agency by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. It was established as a relief measure during the Great Depression to provide employment to people of both sexes and all races at a variety of skill levels.
Photographs, newspaper clippings, printed materials. The album documents the WPA exhibition, "Americans Hands in Action," held at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, April 25 to May 14, 1939. The exhibition featured non-construction activities of the WPA. Displays included textiles, weaving and spinning, basketry, clothing production, doll making, children's arts and activities, cooking, printing, library services, braille, historic records survey, archaeology, and paleontology. Among the 44 photographs are images of puppet theater and an African-American children's band performances. A school visitation schedule, attendance figures, and newpaper reports are also found in the album. Even the decorative album itself is a WPA work product.
Open for research.
Literary Rights Statement
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.
Purchased from David Farmer, 2003.
"American Hands in Action" Photograph Album, AR451, OS588, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library.
Accessioned as number 2003-5.
This collection was processed by Tara Kirk in 2005.
Although in excellent condition, this album is fragile. Please handle with care. Some photographs have come loose from their album pages and have been placed in a separate folder within the box housing the album.