Federal Writers' Project. New York (N.Y.)

The Works Progress Administration, funded by the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act of 1935, created Federal Project Number I (within the Division of Professional and Service Projects) which consisted of the Music, Art, Theatre and Writers' Projects.

The Federal Writers' Project had units in the 48 states as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, The District of Columbia and New York City. Its primary function was to produce a series of state and local guide books which would provide inclusive pictures of the scenic, historical, recreational and economic resources of the country.

In July 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt placed the W.P.A. under the new Federal Works Agency, changing its title to Work Projects Administration. In September, Congress required local sponsors to bear 25% of the costs. All forty-eight states and New York City put up the required amount, demonstrating the popularity of the Writers' Project. In December 1942, Roosevelt instructed that the W.P.A. projects be concluded, and by January 1943, they ceased to exist.

Under the direction of Henry Alsberg, a former newspaperman, the Writers' Projects produced over a thousand publications, including 51 state and territorial guides and some 30 city guides.

The New York City Unit was particularly prolific and produced the "Guide to New York City", "New York Panorama", "Almanac for New Yorkers", as well as assorted specialized studies including: "American Wild Life", "Birds of the World", "Gli Italiani di New York" (in Italian), "The Italians of New York", "The Jewish Landsmanschaften of New York" (in Yiddish), "A Maritime History of New York", "Negroes of New York", "New York Learns", "Reptiles and Amphibeans: An Illustrated Natural History" and "Who's Who in the Zoo."

The W.P.A. Guide to New York City has proved so enduring that it was recently reprinted by Random House. William H. Whyte, in a new introduction wrote: "Today, forty-three years after it was written, it is still the most detailed, comprehensive and diverting guide to the history and geography of the City's places and people."

From the description of WPA photographs, 1936-1943. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122577882