Fredericktown, Ohio Future Farmers of America FFA Chapter Photo Albums 1929-1936 For Sale

Several images are uploaded into this listing. Copy and pasting the following link will bring you to full scans of the class=\"p1\" style=\"\">

[Photography] : [Agriculture]. [Photo Albums of the Fredericktown, Ohio FFA Chapter]. Fredericktown, Ohio: 1936. 2 commercial albums holding a total of 214 original black and white photographs. FIRST: 4to. Black textured paper over card boards with gilt cursive lettering to front: \"Scrap / Book\" Titled \"Vol. 1\" in ink above a typed descriptive sheet mounted to front. Brown paper leaves. 1 title page with \"Fredericktown Ohio Chapter / F.F.A. / In Action boldly hand-lettered in black ink. 53 black and white photographs (most snapshot, a few medium enlargements) loosely fit into corner mounts to rectos of 25 leaves. With detailed captions in ink holograph throughout. One approximately 8\" x 10\" enlargement laid-in loose. Some mild handling wear to album exterior. One print loose from mounting. Overall about very good. SECOND: Oblong 4to. Black paper album. Green textured paper covered card boards with a stylized gilt stamped design to front lettered: \"PHOTOGRAPHS.\" Titled \"Vol. 2\" in ink above a typed descriptive sheet mounted to front (identical in content to label on \"Vol. 1\"). 161 black and white silver print photographs (most snapshots with a few enlargements) loosely fit into corner mounts to rectos and some versos of 23 leaves. Majority of images captioned in white album pen to page (a few with writing over prints). Some wear to hinge of top album board. A few leaves loose from string binding. A few perished prints. Overall prints clean, about very good.

An exceptional, often striking primary glimpse into Depression-era agricultural education and development in the Midwest during the 1930’s, documenting, in more than 200 original photographs spread across two contemporary albums, the activities of the Fredericktown, Ohio chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), from about 1929 to 1936. The well captioned images show the raising of cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, horses, etc... as well as the planting and maintenance of corn, potatoes, kale, etc…, forestry and environmental projects, the Chapter’s large marching band, travel, and more.

The Fredericktown group was one of organization\'s earliest chapters and located in the decidedly agrarian Knox County, about 20 miles south of Mansfield in the eastern portion of the state. Undoubtedly owing to the nature of the region and era, the activities pictured more closely resemble popularly renewed movements in sustainable, locally sourced, farm to table, etc… agriculture than the strenuously commoditized monoculture operations synonymous with most modern, particularly Midwestern, American food production.

Also of note and frequent subject of the images here, Fredericktown commissioned matching jackets (blue corduroy with a large emblem patch on the back) from a nearby uniform company (of Van Wert, OH) to outfit its members for the 1933 National Convention in Kansas City. Multiple sources cite the jackets as the envy of the event and the Fredericktown uniform was soon voted the national organization\'s official dress. The Van Wert uniform firm reported orders from chapters all over the United States (as many as 150,000 annually at its peak success) and continues to produce the jackets, which remain perhaps the most recognizable feature of FFA membership to date.

Typed descriptive sheets, mounted to the fronts of each, suggest the albums were created for submission, likely in a fair or similar competition, possibly at the 1936 National Convention (held again in Kansas City), providing a convenient summation to an obviously rich, and uncommonly well-recorded, singular photographic document of American agricultural education, history, development, Ohioana, etc… of the 1930’s.

FREE USPS Priority Mail shipment to The USA. Ohio buyers will pay 6.75% sales tax. Please send along any questions and thanks for looking!