WPA Life Histories--Home Page

Life History Manuscripts from the Folklore Project, WPA Federal Writer's Project, 1936-1940

Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

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These life histories were written by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the U.S. Works Progress (later Work Projects) Administration (WPA) from 1936-1940. The Library of Congress collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states. Typically 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents consist of drafts and revisions, varying in form from narrative to dialogue to report to case history. The histories describe the informant's family education, income, occupation, political views, religion and mores, medical needs, diet and miscellaneous observations. Pseudonyms are often substituted for individuals and places named in the narrative texts.

Special Presentation:
Voices from the Thirties: An Introduction to the WPA Life Histories Collection

Relationship of this electronic collection to the Library's Federal Writers' Project and WPA manuscript collections

States: Number of items for each represented

Bibliography

Technical Note:
How to view: Text | Images

Editors and technical notes

American Memory | Search All Collections | Browse All Collections | Learning Page

Library of Congress
URL: www.loc.gov

Comments: ndlpcoll@loc.gov

am Dec-20-96