Photographs of the Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry, 1946 - 1947

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National Archives Identifier:
540230
Local Identifier:
245-MS
Creator(s):
From:
Record Group 245: Records of the Solid Fuels Administration for War, 1937 - 1948

Details

Level of Description:
  • Series
Type(s) of Archival Materials:
  • Photographs and other Graphic Materials
The creator compiled or maintained the series between:
1946 - 1947
Includes
1300 item(s) described in the catalog.
Numbering Note:
Record Group, Series, Item Number. EXAMPLE- 245-MS-1540.
Arrangement:
Prints - There are two print files. Mounted prints arranged numerically Number 1 through 4632, with gaps (all of these are taken by Russell Lee). Unmounted prints arranged alphabetically by state, thereunder by mining camp and company. This latter file contains prints in the former plus others. Negatives- Numerically, 1 through 46532 (no negatives are numbered from 4201 through 4411).
Access Restriction(s):
  • Unrestricted
Use Restriction(s):
  • Unrestricted
Finding Aid Type:
Other
Finding Aid Note:
Shelved with the photographs are captions, arranged numerically in looseleaf notebooks, original caption materials written by Lee, and the report of the Coal Mines Administration, A Medical Survey of the Bituminous-Coal Industry, 1947. Box Folder List of States and Corresponding Folders are in the Finding Aids Drawer and with the Records.
Accession Number(s):
  • NN-374-155
Subjects Represented in the Archival Material(s):

Scope & Content

In 1946 the Department of Interior and the United Mine Workers agreed to a joint survey of medical, health and housing conditions in coal communities to be conducted by Navy personnel. Under the direction of Rear Admiral Joel T. Boone, survey teams went into mining areas to collect data and photographs on the conditions of these regions, later compiled into a published report. The bulk of the photographs were taken by Russell W. Lee, a professional photographer hired by the Department of Interior for this project; others were taken by the Navy. These photographs cover a complete range of activities in mining communities. They show the interior and exterior of both company-owned and priv dispensaries; miners at work performing various tasks; mining grounds, equipment and wash houses; women performing household functions; children at play; recreation facilities, churches, schools, clubs; scenes of mining townspeople in and around company stores and town streets; family portraits; members of the medical survey group inspecting grounds and speaking to mine company administrators, local mine operators and union officials.

Variant Control Numbers

ARC Identifier:
540230
NAIL Control Number:
NWDNS-245-MS

Archived Copies

Copy 1:
Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Extent (Size):
7 linear feet
Contact(s):
  • Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park
    8601 Adelphi Road
    College Park, MD 20740-6001
    Phone: 301-837-0561
    Fax: 301-837-3621
    Email: stillpixorder@nara.gov
Count:
  • Photograph Box, 4 x 5 Shoe 15.0
  • Photograph, 5 x 7 Negative Box 1.0
Copy 1 Media Information:
  • Specific Media Type: Photographic Print
  • Specific Media Type: Negative