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Story: Tobacco Farming in Person County, North Carolina, July 1939

36 photos

Tobacco sharecroppers and family at back of their house. Person County, North Carolina

Wage laborer topping tobacco. Shoofly, North Carolina

Tobacco sharecropper's daughter getting eggs from hen's nest in the henhouse. Enclosure for the pig is just beyond under the pine trees. Person County, North Carolina

Topping tobacco. Shoofly, North Carolina

Country store on dirt road, Sunday afternoon. Note kerosene pump on right and gasoline pump on the left. The brother of the owner of the store stands in the doorway. Near Gordenton, North Carolina

Rural filling station becomes community center and general grounds for loafing. The men in baseball suits are on a local team which will play a game nearby. The team is called the Cedargrove Team. Fourth of July, Near Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The tobacco barn, a distinctive American architectural form. Note tobacco growing in field behind barn. Person County, North Carolina

Construction detail of double log cabin of share tenants. The cowhide was hung there after being dried on a barn to be used as floor covering. Shelf shows churn, also bucket of water in which baby's bottle is kept cool. Person County, North Carolina

Wife of tenant farmer, Mrs. Oakley, works stringing tobacco during the harvest season. Granville County, North Carolina

Wives of tobacco tenants pile the tobacco before the barn preparatory to firing. Granville County, North Carolina

Construction detail of tobacco barn showing method of firing

White sharecropper, Mr. Taylor, has just finished priming this field of tobacco. Granville County, North Carolina

Tobacco strung on sticks. Granville County, North Carolina

Coming out of tobacco barn in which tobacco is being cured. Careful check of temperature must be made. Granville County, North Carolina

Eight year old daughter who helps about the tobacco barn and takes care of the baby. Granville County, North Carolina

Mr. Taylor, tobacco sharecropper, relaxes when the tobacco has been "put up." Granville County, North Carolina

Tobacco people take it easy after their morning's work "putting up" tobacco. Granville County, North Carolina

Sharecropper with wife and child in their tobacco field. Note that the tobacco grows up to the front porch. Near Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Son of sharecropper "worming" tobacco. Wake County, North Carolina

Wife of tobacco sharecropper bathing her baby in kitchen. Person County, North Carolina

North Carolina farm boy in doorway of tobacco barn. Person County, North Carolina

Mr. Whitfield, tobacco sharecropper, with baby on front porch. North Carolina, Person County

Wife and children of tobacco sharecropper on front porch. Person County, North Carolina

Wife of tobacco sharecropper in kitchen of home. Person County, North Carolina