Kentucky in 1940, in 93 Photographs
Between May and October of 1940, a thirty-year-old photographer named Marion Post Wolcott drove around Kentucky with a government camera. She worked for the Farm Security Administration, the New Deal agency that sent photographers out to document rural America, and everything she shot belongs to the public.
Transcript
Two Kentuckys
P01 Walnut Hall, horse breeding farm in Bluegrass region near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
This is a photograph of Kentucky, made in July of nineteen forty by a woman working for the federal government.
P02 Mountaineers hauling coal up the creek bed to their homes. Morris Fork, Kentucky River near Jackson. August 1940
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
So is this one. Same photographer. Same state. About four weeks later.
Whose camera
P03 Immediately on entering state of Kentucky the greater increased number of liquor signs is very noticeable. Guthrie, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Her name was Marion Post Wolcott. She was thirty years old, and she was paid by the Farm Security Administration to drive around the country and bring back pictures of it. Her caption here reads: immediately on entering state of Kentucky, the greater increased number of liquor signs is very noticeable.
P04 Signs advertising liquor stores are seen frequently along all Kentucky highways. South of Bardstown
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
What you are looking at is the negative, not a print. The Eastman Kodak lettering along the edge of the film reads backwards, and the retouching numbers were scratched in by hand in Washington.
P07 Road leading into Cave City, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The dates on her Kentucky negatives run from May to October. This is not one trip. It is a season's work, and this is what she saw.
P05 Colonial Cottage Court for tourists outside of Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Colonial Cottage Court. Private baths. Cottages heated. Strictly tourist.
P06 Cabins imitating Indian teepee for tourists along highway south of Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And further south along the same highway, cabins built to imitate a teepee, for the same trade.
Louisville
P08 Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, with Ohio River in background
Marion Post Wolcott · May 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
In May she was up above downtown Louisville, with the river behind it.
P09 Louisville waterfront along the Ohio River. Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The waterfront. The bridge. The stacks on the far bank.
P10 Riverboat carrying cargo leaving dock along waterfront. Louisville, Kentucky. Ohio River
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A riverboat leaving the dock with cargo, under a head of smoke.
P11 Fishing in the Ohio River, Saturday afternoon. Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
It was a Saturday afternoon. People were fishing.
P12 Canoeing on the Ohio River on Saturday. Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And canoeing, which is not what the Ohio River usually gets photographed for.
P13 People from Louisville, Kentucky, taking a picnic supper on their boat on the Ohio River
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Families carried picnic suppers down the dock to their boats.
P14 Yacht basin, Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The yacht basin at Louisville. She was working for a farm relief agency.
P15 Car belonging to "Hep Cats" on main street in Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
On a main street in town, outside a drugstore, a car belonging to what her caption calls Hep Cats.
Post 39
P16 American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Then out to Oldham County, to an American Legion fish fry. Post thirty-nine.
P17 Legionnaires and their wives eating and drinking beer at American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Legionnaires and their wives, eating and drinking beer.
P18 Shooting craps at American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Some of them were shooting craps.
P19 Pitching horseshoes at American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Some were pitching horseshoes.
P20 Playing croquet at American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Some were playing croquet.
P21 Legionnaire falls after picnic bench breaks at American Legion fish fry, Oldham County, Post 39, near Louisville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And at some point a picnic bench gave way under a man. She kept that one too.
The Bluegrass
P22 Old stone fence near Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
East of Louisville the country opens out. Stone fences near Harrodsburg.
P23 Highway in bluegrass section near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
White plank fence on both sides of the road. This is the Kentucky that goes on calendars.
P24 General view of Russell Spear's farm near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
She spent days on one farm outside Lexington, belonging to a man named Russell Spear.
P25 Hereford cattle on Russell Spear's farm near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Hereford cattle.
P26 Sheep grazing on farm of Russell Spears near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And sheep, on the same farm.
P27 Barn full of tobacco on Russell Spear's farm near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A barn full of burley tobacco, curing.
P28 Taking in hay on horse breeding farm near Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Hay coming in on a horse breeding farm.
P29 New homes in Lexington, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
New houses going up in Lexington.
P30 "Kentucky colonel" sitting in street in front of courthouse. Versailles, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August–September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And in ver-SAYLS, in Woodford County, a man she labelled a Kentucky colonel, sitting in the street in front of the courthouse.
P31 Farmers exchanging news and greetings on Saturday afternoon in front of courthouse. Versailles, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August–September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Saturday afternoon on the same sidewalk. Farmers exchanging news and greetings.
Shelby County Fair
P32 Sign outside fairgrounds. Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
In August she went to Shelbyville, because the sign said to. August seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth. Day and night. Liberal prizes in all departments. Good music. Automobile given away.
P33 Preparing for the Shelby County Horse Show and Fair, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
They were still setting up when she got there.
P34 Stables at the Shelby County horse show and fair. Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A show horse under a blanket, in a temporary stable.
P35 Entries in the Shelby County Horse Show & Fair, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Entries walking the ring, in front of a grandstand advertising a furniture store.
P36 Sulky or harness races. Horse show, Shelby County fair. Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Harness racing, watched from the rail by men in straw hats.
P37 Entry in Shelby County Horse Show and Fair receiving winning ribbon. Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
More entries, led out.
P38 Well-to-do horse show enthusiast from Louisville, Shelby County Horse Show and Fair, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
She photographed this woman in a box seat, and captioned her: a well-to-do horse show enthusiast from Louisville.
P39 Spectators at Shelby County Horse Show and Fair, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And she photographed the people on the plank bleachers.
P40 Midway and carnival, Shelby County Fair and Horse Show, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The midway had a sideshow. Visit Jolly Jumbo, the world's largest hog. Five cents. The placard by the door gives his measurements. Eight feet four inches long, four feet two inches tall, and over fifteen hundred pounds.
P41 Healthiest baby contest at Shelby County Fair and Horse Show, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The grandstand filled.
P42 Exhibit of farm machinery at Shelby County horse show and fair, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And out beyond it, under canvas, the farm machinery exhibit.
Bardstown
P43 Center of town with banner advertising church picnic. Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
In August she was in Bardstown, where a banner across the street advertised a church picnic.
P44 Townspeople visiting while sitting in front of Old Talbott Tavern on Saturday afternoon. Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Men sitting out the afternoon in front of the Old Talbott Tavern.
P45 Saint Thomas Church and rectory near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The picnic was at Saint Thomas, outside town. This is the church and the rectory.
P46 Barbecueing beef and lamb for a benefit picnic supper on the grounds of St. Thomas' Church. Near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
They barbecued beef and lamb in open pits.
P47 Parishoners peeling potatoes for a benefit picnic supper on the grounds of St. Thomas' Church. Near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The men cooked.
P48 Parishioners peeling and slicing tomatoes for a benefit picnic supper on the grounds of Saint Thomas' Church. Near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The women peeled and sliced tomatoes, and peeled potatoes, for hours.
P49 Table in picnic grove set for St. Thomas church supper near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The tables were set in the grove.
P50 "Ball-throwing game" on the grounds of St. Thomas Church at a benefit picnic supper. Near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
People waited to go in.
P51 Parishoners of St. Thomas Church resting after spending many hous preparing food for a benefit picnic supper. Near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Her caption for this one says the parishioners are resting, after spending many hours preparing food.
P52 Former slave quarters now used as milk house on farm near Bardstown, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And on a farm near Bardstown she photographed this building, and wrote underneath it: former slave quarters, now used as a milk house.
Saturday
P53 Farmers in town on Saturday afternoon. Russellville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Saturday was when the country came to town. Russellville, in Logan County.
P54 Blacksmith shoeing team of farmhorses on Saturday, Russellville, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A blacksmith putting shoes on a team of farm horses, the same Saturday.
P55 Farmers sitting around in front of the post office on Saturday afternoon. Linwood, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
At Linwood the men sat in front of the post office.
P56 Congregation coming out of church on Sunday in Linwood, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
On Sunday the congregation came out of the church there.
P57 Family reunion on front lawn on Sunday near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Near Lawrenceburg, a family reunion on a front lawn.
P58 Itinerant repair man with family who goes around to the different farmers to mend their stoves. Near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And near the same road, a man who went from farm to farm mending stoves, camped with his family under canvas.
East
P59 Tobacco stunted by drought near Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Then she went east, and the pictures change. Near Morehead the tobacco was stunted by drought.
P60 Overcrowded conditions in a rural school near Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Her caption for this one is a single phrase. Overcrowded conditions in a rural school.
P61 Children hauling water from nearby home to the school near Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The school had no water. Children carried it from a house nearby.
P62 Two-room school house near Morehead, Kentucky. In these mountain areas the school term begins in June and goes through January, because in the late winter and spring months the weather is so severe and roads so bad and childrens' clothing is too inadequate
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
This two-room school ran its term from June through January. Her caption gives the reason. In the late winter and spring the weather is severe, the roads are bad, and the children's clothing is too inadequate.
The mail
P63 Rural mailman leaving the post office in Landsaw, Kentucky, to take the mail up the paths and creek beds where no cars or wagons can pass
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
At Landsaw the mail left the post office on horseback, for the paths and creek beds where no car or wagon could pass.
P64 Rural mailman riding to the crossroads where he will meet another postman in a wagon. The mail sacks will then be transferred to his saddlebags and he will take the mail further up the side road and creek beds where no wagon or car can go. In the mountain section near Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The rider went out to a crossroads to meet a second postman.
P65 Rural mailman taking packages and saddlebags of letters, which have been transferred from a wagon which cannot go up the bad side roads and creek beds, to the mountain families in this isolated area. Near Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Letters and packages came off the wagon into saddlebags, and went on from there.
The baptizing
P66 Mountain people leaving the Primitive Baptist Church in Morehead, Kentucky and going down to the creek for a baptizing
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
On a Sunday near Morehead she followed a Primitive Baptist congregation down to the creek.
P67 Members of the Primitive Baptist Church, after services, going to attend a creek baptizing. Morehead, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
They stood along the bank under umbrellas.
P68 Members of the Primitive Baptist Church in Morehead, Kentucky, attending a creek baptizing by submersion
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And they baptized by submersion, in the creek, in front of everybody.
The creek is the road
P69 Character of the land in mountain sections of Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · October 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Further east the land itself becomes the subject. She captioned this one: character of the land in mountain sections of Kentucky.
P70 One of the hazards of driving over Kentucky mountain roads. Near Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · July–September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
One of the hazards of driving over Kentucky mountain roads.
P71 Car fording creek up Morris Fork of the Kentucky River. Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Up Morris Fork of the Kentucky River, the creek is the road.
P72 Mountaineers trying to get car out of creek. Up South fork of the Kentucky River, Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And sometimes the car does not come out of it by itself.
P73 Mountaineers crossing the Kentucky River over swinging bridge, carrying their supplies home from Jackson. Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August–September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Where there was a bridge it was a swinging bridge, and people carried their supplies home from Jackson across it.
P74 Swinging bridge crossing over creek from main road to post office and store. Ary, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
At Airy, the swinging bridge ran from the main road to the post office and the store.
P75 Mountaineer going to the store on muleback. Up Burton's Fork of the Kentucky River. Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Up Burton's Fork a man rode to the store on muleback.
P76 Mother and child start off to get supplies up Burton's Fork, Kentucky River, near Jackson, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A mother and child set off the same way, to get supplies.
P77 Mountain woman and granddaughter up Burton's Fork, Kentucky River, near Jackson, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A woman and her granddaughter, on the same fork of the same river.
P78 Airing a mattress in mountain family's backyard up Burton's Fork of the Kentucky River. Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A mattress out over the fence to air, with the corn behind it.
P79 Mountaineer's cabin with tobacco patch up Morris Fork of the Kentucky River, near Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A cabin up Morris Fork, with its tobacco patch.
P80 Mountain girl riding home from school on muleback. Up South fork of the Kentucky River. Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
A girl riding home from school on a mule, up the South Fork.
P81 One-room school in Breathitt County, Kentucky. Up South Fork of the Kentucky River
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
That school was one room, and this is all of it, and everyone in it.
Jockey Street
P82 Farmers and townspeole on "Jockey Street" in Campton, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Campton, in Wolfe County. The post office is the building on the corner.
P83 Farmers trading mules and horses on "Jockey Street" in Campton, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The street beside it was called Jockey Street, and farmers came in to trade mules and horses.
P84 Itinerant preacher's car in Campton, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
An itinerant preacher had parked in town. Jesus saves, across the visor. Repent, down the door. A card in the windscreen reads: Jesus is the only true friend. The plate on the front is Illinois, nineteen forty.
P85 Post office. Botto, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The post office at Botto was this building.
P86 Hotel built for jobless friends by mountain man near Hindman, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And near the town of Hindmun, a man had built this out of what he had, as a hotel for his friends who were out of work.
Coal
P87 Chavies, Kentucky, formerly quite active mining town
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Chavies had been a mining town. Her caption, written in nineteen forty, already puts that in the past tense.
P88 Abandoned coal trestle, Kentucky, near Chavies
Marion Post Wolcott · 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
The coal trestle outside it had been abandoned.
P89 Company homes in mining town. Virgie, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · September 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
At Virgie the company houses still stood along the highway, all of them the same.
P90 Coal cars near Chavies, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · October 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And in October there were still loaded cars on the track.
What the file is
P91 Pine Mountain settlement school near Harlan, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
She also photographed the places built to answer all this. Pine Mountain Settlement School.
P92 New consolidated school. Breathitt County, Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940 · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
And in Brethitt County, a new consolidated school, meant to replace the one-room schools up the forks.
P93 Mountaineer and Marion Post Wolcott changing a tire with a fence post as a jack. Up South Fork of the Kentucky River. Kentucky
Marion Post Wolcott · August 1940? · Library of Congress · FSA/OWI. View the original.
Search the Library of Congress for her name and this state and you get about seventeen hundred frames. Nine hundred and thirty-seven of them have no caption of their own. They are filed as untitled, possibly related to whichever frame somebody in Washington chose instead. More than half of what she brought back is the version nobody picked. This is one of them. The caption names two people in it. A mountaineer, and Marion Post Wolcott, changing a tire with a fence post for a jack. It does not say who took the picture.
Sources
- [LOC] Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration / Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. All 93 photographs in this episode are Marion Post Wolcott's Kentucky negatives from 1940, reproduced from the Library's master scans of the original 4x5 sheet film and 35mm film (call number series LC-USF34 and LC-USF33). https://www.loc.gov/collections/fsa-owi-black-and-white-negatives/ Rights, in the Library's words: the contents of the collection "are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse." These are US government works.
- Individual item records. Every frame used was resolved to its own LOC item record rather than taken from a search listing. `research/kentucky-1940/items.json` carries the item number, the `created_published` date and, where the record supplied it, the LC-USF call number for each of the 93.
- The Shelby County Fair dates (August 7, 8, 9, 10 — day and night, liberal prizes in all departments, good music, automobile given away) are read off the painted sign in P32, not off the caption, which says only "Sign outside fairgrounds."
- Jolly Jumbo (P40): the name, the five-cent admission and the measurements — eight feet four inches long, four feet two inches tall, over fifteen hundred pounds — are read off the banner and the placard in the frame. The caption says only "Midway and carnival." An earlier draft of this script called the hog "Lolly"; the banner reads JOLLY JUMBO.
- The preacher's car (P84): "Jesus saves", "Repent", the windscreen card "Jesus is the only true friend" and the Illinois 1940 licence plate are all read off the frame. The caption says only "Itinerant preacher's car in Campton, Kentucky."
- The two-room school (P62): the reason for the June-to-January term is quoted from the caption itself — "in the late winter and spring months the weather is so severe and roads so bad and childrens' clothing is too inadequate."
- The counts in the closing (Scene 93): a search of the Library's catalogue for "Wolcott Kentucky" returned 1,731 records, of which 937 (54%) are titled "[Untitled photo, possibly related to: …]". Both figures were counted from the harvested result set, not estimated.