Figure 1.--

WPA was not only for laborers, but also artists, sculptors, writers, musicians, and authors. As a result, there were plays and concerts--even circuses. The Federal Writers' Project produced a wide range of booklets and engaged in a range of academic activities. They prepared state and regional guide books. The Project also deaveled into a variety of archives, organizing them and indexing newspapers. There were also sociological studies and historical investigations. The Federal Arts Project employed artists to decorate public buildings, including post offices, schools, and other public buildings with murals, canvases, and sculptures. Musicians were employed to organized symphony orchestras, and community singing. The Federal Theater Project experimented with untried performance modes, and scores of stock companies toured the country with repertories of old and new plays. This brought stage performances to communities which had only been exposed to theatrical performances through books and radio. Some plays had a strong political focus which proved controversial. These were among the more cointriversial WPA projects,in part because many of the cultural literati had left wing views and wanted to exporess thoise views as paet of their government-financed work. The WPA culture efforts were particularly novel for the Federal Government. Few saw the contradiuction between freedom of speech and government financed propagation of political ideology.

Different Federal Cultural Programs

WPA was not only for laborers, but also artists, sculptors, writers, musicians, and authors. As a result, there were plays and concerts--even circuses.

Federal Writers Project

The WPA Federal Writers’ Project (WPA-FWP)provided jobs for unemployed writers, editors, and researchers. Henry G. Alsberg was apointed to direct the program. It had offices in all 48 states as well as U.S. territories and Puerto Rico. At its peak it employed 6,600 unemployed writers. The major project pursued by the WPA-FWP was the American Guide series. This was an effort to prepare a guide book for every state. As the ptoject developed a gret cdeal of folk history was included in the vsriuous state guides. The guide for Idaho was largely written by state director Vard Fisher bcause he did not like the contributions he received from others. In additionto the states, there were also guides prepared for Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Philadelphia aw well as several major highways (U.S. 1, Ocean Highway, and the legendary Oregon Trail). Some towns, villages, and counties prepared guides as well. The guides that emerged proved to be eclectic volumes. They proved to encompass virtually every aspect of the state and life in the state. There was he geopgraphic and travel informtion to assist tourists. There was also information on architecture, history, etnicity, and commerce. Perhaps the most engaging aspects of the guides was the influsion of some folkloric material. The WPA-FRP worked on a wide range of other projects including ethnic studies, folklore collections, local histories, nature studies. The output included over 1,000 books and pamphlets. The quality of this material ws uneven, in both literary skill and historical value. The Massachusets Guode for example devoted more text to the Sacco=-Vennzetti Trial than the Boston Massacre and Tea Party combined. To be hired by the WPA-FwP, the individuals had to be in the relief rolls. Some important writers were involved, including Conrad Aiken, Maxwell Bodenheim, and Claude McKay and future respected writers: Nelson Algren, Saul Bellow, John Cheevers, Loren Eiseley, Ralph Ellison, eldon Kees, Studs Terckel, Richard Wright, Frank Yerby, and others. There were also sociological studies and historical investigations. One of the most valuable activities purued by the WPA-FWP was the Folk Lore Dividion. Benjamin Botkin oversaw the collection of menories of Civil War veteterans, calvalry men on the Western frontier, former slaves and many others. These were men and women who left no written recird. The oral histories collected captured tghe expeeriences of thousandsof individuals who woukd have been lost for all time. The WPA-FWP criss-crossed the states interviewing people and collecting songs, and stories, essentially history from the bottom up. The material collected is an invaluable collection that is available to historians in perpetuity. The material was organized and archived. They also indexed newspapers. This was one of the efforts investiugated by the Dies Committes. Congress finally ended federal sponsorship of the project (1939). The state projects were allowed to continue if they coukd find state and local sponsorship. The WPA-FWP finally ended (1943).

Federal Arts Project

The Federal Arts Project employed artists to decorate public buildings, including post offices, schools, and other public buildings with murals, canvases, and sculptures. Musicians were employed to organized symphony orchestras, and community singing.

Federal Theater Project

The Federal Theater Project experimented with untried performance modes, and scores of stock companies toured the country with repertories of old and new plays. This brought stage performances to communities which had only been exposed to theatrical performances through books and radio. Some plays had a strong political focus which proved controversial.

Controversy

The WPA culturalprojects were among the more cointriversial WPA projects,in part because many of the cultural literati had left wing views and wanted to exporess thoise views as paet of their government-financed work. The WPA culture efforts were particularly novel for the Federal Government. Few saw the contradiuction between freedom of speech and government financed propagation of political ideology. Some were unaware that Government financed ideology was a chracteristic of totalitarian countries. Others were fine withb it as long as the ideology the Goivernmebnt financed corresponded to their own ideology.

Created: 3:01 AM 6/12/2012
Last updated: 3:01 AM 6/12/2012