Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1938
In September 1938 the photographer Marion Post Wolcott photographed Charleston in Kanawha County, West Virginia, for the Farm Security Administration. These are 12 of those negatives, with the captions she wrote for them.
The negatives are federal works. They are in the public domain, they are held by the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, and anyone may reproduce them. Each caption below is hers, transcribed in full — including the parts a video has no room for.
Her captions for West Virginia name the town, not the county. The county given here was resolved against the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names file for West Virginia.
Children in bedroom of their home, Charleston, West Virginia. Their mother has TB. Father works on WPA (Works Progress Administration). See 50129-D
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Child on back porch of his home, riverboat house in Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Home of old and sick mine foreman and WPA (Works Progress Administration) workers and families, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
WPA (Works Progress Administration) worker's wife washing clothes in front yard. South Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Negro woman washing clothes outside of shacks along the river. On highway between Charleston and Gauley Bridge, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Children of riverboat family, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Family on front porch of houseboat on river in Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Negro family's home, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Wife of WPA (Works Progress Administration) worker living on riverboat, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
At left, unfinished pleasure boat for dancing, etc., and at right rear of houseboat moved up on bank for family to live in, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Side view of shacks of Work Projects Administration worker and old mine foreman and families, Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Old and sick, mine foreman's wife does washings in front yard. South Charleston, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.