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Civil Works Administration and State of Washington Emergency Relief Administration photograph collection, 1933-1934

Overview of the Collection

Title
Civil Works Administration and State of Washington Emergency Relief Administration photograph collection
Dates
1933-1934 (inclusive)
Quantity
211 photographic prints (2 boxes) ; various sizes
Collection Number
PH0267
Summary
Photographs of Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Washington Emergency Relief Administration (WERA) projects in Washington state in the 1930s
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Most of collection available on digital site. Collection is open to the public.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Historical Background

The Washington Emergency Relief Administration (WERA) was created in 1933 as Washington State's response to the Great Depression. The relief program was administered by the Emergency Relief Commission under the direction of the Governor, Clarence Daniel Martin and the appointed director of WERA, Charles F. Ernst. WERA was replaced by the Department of Public Welfare in 1935.

On November 9, 1933, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) was created by executive order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was intended as a temporary federal program which would help stave off severe deprivation for the following winter. Within weeks, Harry Hopkins, the energetic head of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), had employed a million and a half people in CWA projects. By January 1934, over 4 million workers were employed by the CWA and under the administration of WERA. Civil Works Administration employees worked specifically on short-term construction projects that could be completed fairly quickly and included the building and improvement of roads, schools, playgrounds, sewers, and hospitals around the country. The Civil Works Service (CWS) was also established and provided non-construction based jobs including sewing centers, nursing positions and education, mapping and surveying projects.

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Content Description

Collection contains eight albums and loose photographs documenting Civil Works Administration (CWA), Civil Works Service (CWS) and some Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) projects in Washington state during the 1930s. Albums include typed reports, photographs and some city plans. Areas in Washington involved include: Bremerton, Clark County, Klickitat County, Spokane County and cities in King County such as Renton, Sammamish, Kirkland, Enumclaw and Seattle. Projects in the state of Washington include: road construction and improvement, bridge construction and maintenance, waterway improvement, playfield and park improvement, water and sewage pipeline repairs, school projects, hospital and nursing activities and airport construction. Some projects are represented in multiple albums with duplicate photographs.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Albums 1-7 were a gift of Washington State Social Security Department, Ben Tidball Library, 1943.

Processing Note

Processed by Kristin Kinsey, 2009; Stefanie Terasaki, 2013.

Added 5 albums containing photographs found in subject files that have been gathered back together based on projects represented. Original order of albums is unknown.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

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Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
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