Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South
/ Writers' Program of the Work Project Administration in the State of Alabama,
1941This guide contains essays on the life and culture of the state that acknowledge the influence of African-Americans, especially in areas such as folklore and music. The guide profiles ten cities and includes photos of scenes of Southern poverty during the Depression.
Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South is a part of the American Guide Series. This series of books was produced by the Federal Writers Project between 1935 and 1943. The Federal Writers Project was one of the many programs under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era government program that assisted the millions of unemployed. The series is said to have originated from a casual cocktail party conversation between writer Katharine Kellock and WPA administrator Arthur Goldsmith. These wonderful travel guides cover the 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states) and the District of Columbia and employed over 6,000 writers. Each volume covers a state’s history, geography, and culture, and includes photographs, maps, and drawings.