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Collection: FSA/OWI Color Transparencies

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. The original images are color transparencies ranging in size from 35 mm. to 4x5 inches. They complement the better-known black-and-white FSA/OWI photographs, made during the same period

606 photos

Cattle in corral waiting to be weighed before being trailed to railroad, Beaverhead County, Montana

Butte, Montana

First snow of the season in the foothills of the Little Belt Mountains, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Meagher County, Montana

First snow of the season in the foothills of the Little Belt Mountains, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Meagher County, Montana

First snow of the season in the foothills of the Little Belt Mountains, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Meagher County, Montana

Development at the site of the mill for the Mouat Chromite mine, Stillwater County, Montana

Ben Bow Mill of the Metal Reserves' Chromite development, Stillwater County, Montana. This is the first snow of the season

Ben Bow Mill of the Metal Reserves' Chromite development, Stillwater Co., Montana. This is the first snow of the season

First snow of the season in the foothills of the Little Belt Mountains, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Meagher County, Montana

Dr. Schreiber of San Augustine giving a typhoid innoculation at a rural school, San Augustine County, Texas

Rural school girl, San Augustine County, Texas

Rural school children, San Augustine County, Texas

60 foot high sulphur vat, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Sulphur vat 60 feet high, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Loading sulphur from vat, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Loading box cars with sulphur, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Railroad cars loaded with sulphur, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Freeport Sulphur Co., 60 foot high vat of sulphur, Hoskins Mound, Texas

Nearly exhausted sulphur vat from which railroad cars are loaded, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Nearly exhausted sulphur vat from which railroad cars are loaded, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

Melted sulphur from the wells pouring into relay station, Freeport Sulphur Co., Hoskins Mound, Texas

House, Houston, Texas

Workers leaving Pennsylvania shipyards, Beaumont, Texas

Worker at carbon black plant, Sunray, Texas