Official State of Iowa Website Here is how you know
State Historical Society of Iowa

Two Teenage Girls Participating in the National Youth Administration in Iowa, 1940

    Download Image Resource

Image
Photography of two teenage girls who participated in the National Youth Administration in Iowa.
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, "NYA: Farmington Iowa," 1940

Description

The photograph depicts two young women cutting wood strips for doll beds in Farmington, Iowa. The young women were participating in the National Youth Administration, which began during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first term in office. Young men and women would engage in academic courses. In addition, the program provided two paths: one which offered technical training, as depicted in this image, and one that provided financial aid.   

Source-Dependent Questions

  • The photograph depicts two young women cutting wood strips for doll beds in Farmington, Iowa. How did this type of training reinforce or counter gender stereotypes at the time?
  • Compare this photo with The National Youth Administration Work Center in Brooklyn. Why were programs specifically designed for women and minorities?