Primary Sources: The Great Depression and the 1930s: Dust Bowl & Migration

"Henderson, Caroline Agnes Boa, 1877-1966; Secondary school teacher. Mount Holyoke College graduate, 1901. Papers consist of letters, articles, biographical information, and six letters written by her daughter, Eleanor; primarily documenting her daily activities and difficulties, including the Dust Bowl, on the family farm in Oklahoma."

A selection of Lange's photos from the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Provides access to primary sources related to the Great Depression and to the Dust Bowl.

"When drought struck Oklahoma in the 1930s, the author and her husband stayed behind to protect their 28-year-old farm. Her letters to a friend paint a picture of dire poverty, desiccated soil, and long days with no sunshine."
The Atlantic CAROLINE A. HENDERSON MAY 17 1936,

"Photographers working for the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) between 1939 and 1944 made approximately 1,600 color photographs that depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The pictures focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working."

"... an extensive pictorial record of American life between 1935 and 1944. This U.S. government photography project was headed for most of its existence by Roy E. Stryker, who guided the effort in a succession of government agencies: the Resettlement Administration (1935-1937), the Farm Security Administration (1937-1942), and the Office of War Information (1942-1944). The collection also includes photographs acquired from other governmental and non-governmental sources, including the News Bureau at the Offices of Emergency Management (OEM), various branches of the military, and industrial corporations. "

"This collection of 63 photographic prints of various sizes documents migrant labor camps in California. The photographs were taken in 1935-1936, many likely by Harry Everett Drobish. Included are photographs of groups and buildings at the Arvin Migratory Labor Camp and other camps in Kern County, California. Also included are photographs of Hooverville in Sacramento, some taken by the California State Emergency Relief Administration. Printed and handwritten captions found on or below the photographs are reprinted in the container listing."

Oral history transcript /Vera May Jones Bailey
Includes topics such as: Depression Times in Missouri; Decision to Move to California, 1937; Stories of Dust Bowl Migrants; News About Shipyard Work in Richmond, Early 1940s; Wartime Food Rationing; Shipyard Unions

"The Oakland Museum of California houses Lange’s personal archive, a gift from the artist that includes 25,000 negatives, 6,000 vintage prints, field notes, and personal memorabilia. "

Department of Agriculture. Farm Security Administration. Information Division. (ca. 1937 - ca. 1942)
ARC Identifier 13595 / Local Identifier 96.2 1937
The Plow That Broke the Plains

The film presents the social and economic history of the Great Plains -- from the time of the settlement of the prairies, through the World War I boom, to the years of depression and drought. The first part of the film shows cattle as they grazed on grasslands, and homesteaders who hurried onto the plains and grew large wheat crops. The second part depicts the postwar decline of the wheat market, which resulted in overproduction. Footage shows farm equipment used, then abandoned. The third part shows a dust storm as it rendered a farm useless. Subsequent scenes show farmers as they left their homes and headed west. - Description from site

"... an online presentation of selections from a multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting the everyday life of residents of Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant work camps in central California in 1940 and 1941."

"...is dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Oklahoma. Voices and stories of famous Oklahomans and ordinary citizens are captured forever in their own words."