Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination:

Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photographers

Photographers working for the Farm Security Administration Historical Section (later transferred to the Office of War Information) were encouraged to document continuity and change in many aspects of life in America during the years the unit was in operation. They were particularly encouraged to photograph billboards and signs as one indicator of such developments. Although no documentation has been found to indicate that photographers were explicitly encouraged to photograph racial discrimination signs, the collection includes a significant number of this type of image, which is rarely found in other Prints and Photographs Division collections.

This reference aid includes all the known images of discrimination signs found in the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information file of photographic prints. This list was compiled in response to frequent patron requests for such images. The list is updated as additional images are discovered.

Photographic copies of the images may be ordered through the Library of Congress Duplication Services (202-707-5640). When placing orders, the reproduction number should be cited.

The Library of Congress is unaware of any restrictions on the use of the images. For further information, see the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information/Office of Emergency Management Collection Rights and Restrictions information.

Note: The following captions are transcribed from the original caption strips.