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The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was created in 1937 to help poor farmers during the Great Depression. As part of its work, FSA photographers took pictures to show the struggles of rural people. This exhibit highlights the photos of Ben Shahn and Marion Post Wolcott, who visited West Virginia coal towns in the 1930s. Their photos captured the daily lives of miners and their families, showing their strength during hard times.
This photograph shows a field of corn growing next to a coal camp. In the background, you can see hills where most of the trees have been cut down for timber. The image shows how farming, coal mining, and logging were all part of life in West Virg...
This photograph shows coal miners in Williamson relaxing by the side of the road after a long day of work. Many miners didn’t own cars, so they likely rode in the truck seen in the background to get to and from the mines. Photo by Ben Shahn.
This photograph was taken in Freeze Fork, a coal camp in Logan County. The miner in the photo was unknown at the time, but his family later identified him as Clyde Hood. Photo by Ben Shahn.
This photograph shows a coal camp where the air is filled with smoke and soot. The pollution came from burning slag heaps, steam trains, and coal stoves used in homes. Photo by Ben Shahn.
This photograph shows a town once owned by the Ford Motor Company. The company closed it after the miners tried to join a union. At one time, around 1,000 men worked there. After the town was shut down, people from nearby areas came to take useful...
This photograph is one of several Marion Post Wolcott took at a mine and the nearby coal camp in Capels (McDowell County).
This photograph shows that in some areas, coal miners could take a bus or train to get to work. Not all miners lived right next to the mines, so having transportation was important. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
Miners paid the truck owner 25 cents each to get a ride home. The dollar signs on the windows might have been there to show that it was a paid service. Photo at Capels by Marion Post Wolcott.
A miner at Capels rests on a wall after finishing his work in the mine. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
People in coal towns often gathered at the company store to shop and meet one another. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
A couple rides their horse at Capels (McDowell County) carrying the things they bought from the store after payday. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
In places like Capels (McDowell County), small farms were often located next to coal camps. Some miners lived on these farms and grew their own food to help support their families along with what they earned from mining. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
These men lived close enough to the mine that they could walk home. Some of the houses in Capels (McDowell County) have been fixed up or taken care of and are still lived in today. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
The women in this photo are dressed nicely, maybe for a walk to the company store and back. Life was hard for miners’ wives, and they often helped and supported one another. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
Three women are walking down the road near Mohegan (McDowell County). Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
A coal miner who moved from Poland is shown returning home at Capels (McDowell County). Many miners emigrated from Europe to work in the West Virginia coal mines. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
Miners brought their own cultures and traditions with them, making coal camps a melting pot of different backgrounds. Sometimes, men from Europe came alone first and lived in clubhouses until they earned enough for their families to join them. Pho...
Many coal camps separated housing by race and ethnicity. However, inside the mines, miners worked side by side and had to trust one another to stay safe. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
Some children who grew up in the coalfields remember moving often as their families tried to find better places to live. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
This Exhibit has 20 Sections